Signs of the Dragon The Road To Destiny
by TheTrueBlackRose
Summary: This is the third story in the Signs of the Dragon series. Like the first two, this is a revised version of Yu-Gi-Oh 5d's. However, the characters from Sailor Moon do take on a little more of a role this time around. To avoid any confusion, please read The Fortune Cup and Earthbound Immortals, respectively. Thank you.
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1: A New Threat: Part 1_

Space. The sun comes into view over the new moon and shines toward the Earth. As the shine moves toward the Earth, a rectangular object flies past, on its way to plunge into the atmosphere and become a strangely-shaped meteorite. It burns in the atmosphere, plunging straight downward, glowing with heat, but not melting or changing its rectangular shape. The stone appears sort of marbled.

A shining yellow infinity symbol glows in the darkness, rotates vertically to a figure-eight, and then...

Fades into a landscape view of what must be one of many new bridges crisscrossing New Domino's ocean expanse. This one is center pieced with a large golden arch shaped like an upside-down teardrop, such that when it reflects on the water before it, it creates an infinity symbol. _"It had been six months since our battle with the Dark Signers, and in that time, New Domino City had received..."_ Skylara thinks to herself, in voice-over.

Construction cranes work on buildings, with facades of crisp new cement. If this area was once Satellite, you can barely tell. There's another new road, with curved sides perfect for duel runners, arcing up past it _. "...A bit of a facelift. The divide between City and Satellite was no more, and even more importantly, so was the tension between the two people from each of those districts."_ Skylara thinks to herself, in voice-over.

New Domino's freeways are prolific, but also beautiful. They cross each other and cross the sparkling ocean in every direction, with a steady stream, but not a flood, of vehicles. _"For the first time in a long time, the future was finally beginning to look up..."_ Skylara thinks to herself, in voice-over. She's riding on one of these highways, the shimmering sea on her right side, expression intense, determined. _"If only I had known the horror of what was to come. We saved the world once before, only now I wonder if our decks are strong enough to withstand this mysterious new threat."_ Skylara thinks to herself, in voice-over.

In the Security building in Domino, with the big satellite dish on top. Lazar is in a small, plain room, that might be his own office. Lazar's pacing, frantically. _"I can't stand the pressure! It's too much to take!"_ Lazar thinks to himself. He slams his hands down on the tiny desk before continuing to pace back and forth, rapidly. _"I'm going to crack! After all, it's not every day you meet your new boss, the boss of the whole city! The new Director! Ugh!"_ Lazar thinks to himself. The phone on the desk rings. Lazar picks up the handset. "I told you, no calls!" Lazar says, angrily.

The caller is wearing a light gray uniform, clearly he works for the City. "Actually, you said no calls except for emergencies, and we have one! A meteor has struck the city!" "You call that an emergency?!" Asks Lazar, angrily, via-phone. The terrified subordinate springs to a salute.

Then Lazar actually absorbs what he said. "Hmm? Wait, a meteor? Oh, dear! Now that's what I call an emergency!" Lazar says.

A huge black monolith stands unsupported. The sun glares over the edge of it, illuminating the opposite side of it while casting this side into shadow. If anything is inscribed into or upon it, it can't be seen. Four individuals are standing before it. Three of them are wearing white robes and head cloths. One of them is being covered in gold, with a hood over this persons head, shadowing the upper half of this persons face.

The first of them to speak is of late teenage age and thin, of medium build. Under his white hood, which has decorative gray lightning bolts, that point backwards, like horns, he's pale, his left eye is red and he has a gray, metallic eyepiece replacing his right eye. Underneath his left eye, he has a scar that runs down his cheek. He's dressed in gray, metallic armor, the major portion of which forms a large hoop-like collar around his neck, that connects to encircle a large green gem on his chest, giving its Infinity-themed look. A piece of armor runs down his back, too. The armor pieces around his waist holds up a white, train-like cloak, that covers his legs. Underneath his armor, he's wearing a white, turtle-neck bodysuit, with a black stripe that runs down the center. He also wears white, thigh-high boots, as well as arm length black and white sleeves, that are adorned with red gems at the wrist and upper arm. "Excellent. It has arrived in one piece."

They're standing in a crater created by the impact that appears to be maybe fifty feet in diameter and ten feet deep at its center.

The shortest and youngest of them is the next to speak. Under his white hood, he's pale, his right eye is green and he has a gray, metallic eyepiece replacing his left eye, that swivels with the appearance of a chameleon's eye. Unique to him though is in addition to white, he also wears blue and green, most notably blue in-line skates as oppose to shoes or boots. His most unique attribute to his appearance though is a bar, that floats around him at his shoulders, which he wears underneath his white cloak, and it crosses in front of him to form the appearance of an infinity symbol. "Yes, and already left quite the impression, I'd say! Hehehmhmhm!" "Well, what else would you expect? It's my card." "That it is. So I guess you'll be first?"

The third of the four to speak is the oldest, as well as the largest of all four of them, in both height and mass. Under his white hood, he has wrinkled skin, most notably under his eyes, and a long, father-time style gray beard, that reaches all the way down to his waist. In addition to the beard, he has an overgrown right eyebrow that covers his right eye, and his left eye is yellow. He also has a gray patch, with an infinity symbol on his face, but unlike the other two, his patch covers his nose and mouth, similar to a gas mask, which muffles his voice. His color variation other than the white is a dark, golden orange, as seen on his pants, front, and the shoulder pads that pin his cloak. He also wears black gloves, metal arm bands and black boots. His pants, which are golden orange and white, are loose around his feet. The white cloak that he wears covers a white armor shell over his chest, back, and shoulders, which on the front bears an infinity symbol. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Remember, there's a plan, and we must follow it." "Of course I remember. I came up with it. And it's perfect. I've arranged it so that no one can stand in our way. Uh!" Says the one of late teenage age.

Sirens can be heard. "Mm?" The oldest one asks. The one in gold smiles. "Hmm."

Several Security vans pull up at the edge of the crater. Lazar is the first out of one, while his troops are unloading. "Hey! Who are you four?! What're you doing here?! I order you to vacate these premises now!" Says Lazar.

"And I order you to watch your tongue, worm!" The one in gold says, now being revealed as a woman, revealing only her body structure. Underneath her hood, the upper half of her face is shadowed up, but what can be seen is she has orange lipstick on and she's wearing a gold choker. She's dressed in a gold sailor outfit, that seems to resemble armor more than the traditional sailor fuku, with matching, knee-high, heeled boots. Along with her choker, she also wears gold bracelets, with a purple gem on the left one and a green gem on the right one, a gold belt, and a brooch, with a large garnet and small, gold triangles around the edges, making it reminiscent to the sun. Her height appears to be 5'4", her weight seems to be 123lbs and her bust size looks to be a 34D.

The one of late teenage age turns. "My friend, all is fine. There's no cause for alarm." Says the one of late teenage age, addressing Lazar. "No cause?! Just who do you think you're talking to?! Ah!" Lazar says. He stops short when the one in gold points a sharp sword right between his eyes, an inch from his face, swiftly. "Now, now. Is this really how you want to start things off, with your new Directors?" Asks the one in gold. When she speaks, her voice sounds very familiar to Lazar. Her voice deep and menacing. Lazar is very preoccupied with the sword pointed at his nose to think of who though. "New Directors? You mean?" Lazar says. "Yes." Says the one of late teenage age, backing up the one in gold's words. "You see, the four of us will be sharing the job. Ahahahahahuhuhuh." The youngest one says. "The four of you! Oh my word! I'm sorry, no one told me!" Says Lazar. He kneels on the ground and bows deeply in front of the one in gold, with the oldest one standing behind her, the one of late teenage age at one side of her and the youngest one on the other side of her. "I beg your forgiveness!" Lazar says. He jumps up, points to the Directors and turns to the officers now assembled in a straight line behind him. "What're you buffoons standing around for, these are the new Directors, salute them!" Says Lazar, shouting. The guards salute and chorus, in perfect unison. "Ten-hut!" "That's better! And from now on you're to do whatever they say, understood?!" Lazar asks. "Yes Sir!" _"This will be even easier than I imagined."_ The one of late teenage age thinks to himself.

Above them, the fallen tablet casts an ominous shadow.

Night, on a street somewhere in Domino. A guy is riding a blue duel runner.

Suddenly, a huge shadow looms over him. He turns and looks up. The face of the monster is reflected in his helmet visor, a white shell, black face, with glowing red lines. The duelist cries out, in fear.

Later that night, a few Security cars are on the scene, with a few low-ranks looking around. They hear the sounds of more vehicles approaching. "We got company." The officer standing by the cars waves a red glow stick to flag down the newcomers. "Time to see who Headquarters sent us."

Minako flashes her Security badge, all business. In the six months, Minako is now seventeen and her blonde hair is now knee-length, she still has her hair tied in a simple red bow though. "Minako Aino, Sector Chief of Special Investigations."

Beside Minako, Trudge shows his badge also. Instead of Trudge's usual uniform, he's wearing a button-up, white shirt and carries a blazer slung over his shoulder. The six months have done Trudge good, he looks taller, more at ease with himself. "Officer Trudge, Vice-Chief." The guards lead the two investigators into the scene. "How's the victim?" Asks Minako. "Pretty banged-up, can't stay conscious for more than a few minutes or so." "Guess we'll have to wait for his testimony." Minako says. She looks up from her musings, sees what they've been led to see, and gasps. "And from the looks of that runner, it'll be some story." Says Trudge.

The blue runner has been scorched and melted halfway into scrap.

"That's five of these accidents in a week." Trudge says, aside to Minako. "These are no accidents, Trudge. The city is under attack." Says Minako.

The computer screen shows several different readouts, all of them various shades of red through Skylara's monochromatic safety goggles. "She's purring like a kitten." Yusei says. "A few more tweaks and we should be able to test this new engine at full throttle." Says Skylara. Jack, in his riding suit, is revving the engine of a duel runner on blocks, experimentally. Skylara's sitting at the computer behind Jack watching the data, Crow and Yusei are standing by. In the six months, Jack's now twenty, Skylara and Yusei are now both nineteen, and Crow's now eighteen. "Forget a few more tweaks, Skylara! I say test it now!" Crow says. "Why not? With Jack Atlas in the driver's seat, what could possibly go wrong?" Skylara's screen flashes and shows an ominous exclamation point. "A lot." Says Skylara. She turns to Jack. "Jack, lay off the accelerator." Skylara says. "Accelerate more?! Okay!" Says Jack, shouting over the roar of the engine. "No, decelerate!" Both Crow and Yusei say, shouting.

And thick black smoke explodes from the first-floor windows of the building, a respectable-looking white townhouse, the basement of which they're using as a garage. Passersby stop walking and chatter, nervously. "What was that?" "What just happened?"

Yusei coughs away the dust and smoke, and next to him Crow shoves a piece of scrap metal off of himself. Skylara stands up and takes off her safety goggles. Skylara's face and bare arms are smutched with soot, she's wearing her usual black, sleeveless, formfitting top, with the rectangular and diamond shaped cutouts around the neckline. "Hey, is everybody alright?" Asks Skylara. "Yeah, we're all okay." Crow says. Jack sits up, scattering debris. "The duel runner, on the other hand." Says Jack. Is reduced to a pile of twisted junk metal. Yusei kneels over it. "We pushed it too hard." Yusei says. Skylara stands beside him, sort of standing over him a little bit, now seeing that during the six months her hair is much longer than what it was. Skylara's raven black, gradated red hair is now down to her mid-lower legs and it's gotten slightly wavier, if at all possible. At the moment, Skylara has a small portion of her hair tied back. "Whaddaya mean we? That was all Jack!" Says Crow. "I beg your pardon?! You were the one who told me to go full-throttle!" Jack says. "Please, since when does Jack Atlas, the so-called Master of Faster, the Sultan of Speed, do what someone else tells 'im to do?" Asks Crow.

At the ground-floor semiopaque windows above them, bystanders are starting to crowd around, wondering where the explosion came from.

"Clearly I was just testing your judgment, a test you failed I might add." Crow says. "Why, you!" Says Jack. "Bring it on!" Crow says.

"That's enough!"

"Huh?" Asks both Jack and Crow.

Yusei stands up from the wreckage of the runner and looks up toward the stairs to the ground floor level, Skylara's looking up towards there, as well.

"Uh-oh, our landlord." Crow says. "Aw, she doesn't scare me!" Says Jack.

Their landlord is a tough old woman, in a plain dark blue, old-fashioned dress and a very severe bun, almost as severe as the scowl on her face. She looks like the kind of old-fashioned librarian nobody crosses. A bunch of bystanders are peering through the doorway behind her. "Oh, is that so, mister tough guy? Well, does living on the streets with the rats scare ya?! 'Cause I'm this close to tossing you bums out!"

Crow looks sheepish. "Wait! No, you don't understand! That explosion, it was just…" Jack says, stammering.

"Just nothing! I'm sick and tired of all your excuses so don't even bother with them!"

Jack and Crow look crestfallen.

Yusei joins them. "Sorry, Zora. We've been working on the new engine again." Says Yusei.

Skylara joins him at his side.

Zora practically swoons, her scowl vanishing. "Ahh! Yusei, dear, say no more. You and your sister go ahead and make all the noise you two want." Zora says. She walks down the ramp. "After all, you did save the world from those Dark Signers." Says Zora. She then leans closer towards Yusei and Skylara. "I know you say it was all four of you, but you really just ought to quit being so modest!" Zora says, whispering aside to Skylara and Yusei. "Sure, whatever you say." Says Skylara, blankly. Jack and Crow sigh, in relief or exasperation, it's hard to tell. Just then, they hear sirens.

Outside, a plain black car with sirens blaring pulls up outside. The crowd is chattering. "Sector Security?" "What in the world?" "What're they doing here?"

Zora walks outside, as Trudge steps out of the car. "Oh dear, please accept my apology. I know my tenants can be a bit noisy, but they really mean no harm." Zora says. She then laughs, nervously. "Well, maybe two out of the four do, but Skylara and Yusei." Says Zora. "Heh. Relax, that's not why we're here. No, I'm afraid, there're even bigger issues at hand." Trudge says.

Skylara, Yusei, Jack and Crow have joined them outside. All four look serious at the sound of that. "Oh, my! It sounds serious!" Says Zora. "Skylara, Gentlemen, if you don't mind. Let's talk inside." Minako says.

An old electric fan whirs away on the wall of Yusei, Skylara, Jack and Crow's basement-garage. Trudge and Minako are standing over the runner wreck in the center of the room.

Skylara and Yusei are both still picking through it. Now seeing, in slightly better light, that the explosion scorched the floor black about two feet around the wreck.

"Don't tell me you guys are still working on that new duel engine prototype?" Asks Trudge.

Skylara stands up, holding a piece of the wreck in her hand to examine it closer. "We sure are. And if we can ever get the thing to work right, it will really take our game to the next level." Skylara says.

Crow, leaning against the stairs, thumbs over his shoulder at a poster on the wall. "And that's what it's gonna take to win the Grand Prix, the toughest, roughest duel contest ever to hit New Domino City. It'll be here before we know it!" Says Crow.

"Right, and since it's four or three duelists to a team, creating one new engine design that we can all use is the best way to soup up all our runners at once, and guarantee that victory and dueling immortality will be ours!" Jack says. He taps with his fist another poster that depicts a turbo-duel, determinedly. Jack's standing at the top of another set of stairs, opposite of Crow's.

"What more do you guys have to prove? You already saved the world. If y'ask me, it's all right for you to rest on your laurels a bit. Especially you, Skylara. You haven't entirely recovered since the combined Signer power backfired and struck you right in the heart, that's sort of easy to tell. Your hair is proof of that, too. Not that it looks bad or anything." Says Trudge.

Skylara runs a hand through her hair, casually. "I have grown rather fond of having my hair this way now. Thank you for your concern for my health. However, I'm fine." Skylara says.

"Anyway Trudge! No way! A true duelist never rests. He or she's always training and getting better! Isn't that right, Skylara?" Asks Crow.

"That is right, Crow. However, winning the Grand Prix isn't what I am training for." Skylara says. She's still holding the object she removed from the wreck, and her Mark of the Dragon is visible on her bare right arm, as well as the extra markings that run along her arms and the long, ridged scar on her left arm. Most of Skylara's scars and markings are visible at this point, without her coat or detached sleeves on, and with the small portion of her hair tied back at the moment. "True, we may have saved the world. However, it was close, too close for comfort. We nearly lost everything that we care for. Crow, I know you and Jack came out of it more sure of your duel skills than ever." Says Skylara.

Jack nods, firmly.

As does Crow.

"But, as for Yusei and I, we have never been more uncertain." Skylara says. Yusei walks up and stands next to her, he nods. Skylara then hands the object that she removed from the wreck over to Yusei, who takes it from her and examines it, closely.

Minako clears her throat, primly. "Speaking of uncertainty." Says Minako, changing the subject, awkwardly. "Sector Security has its fair share, these days." Trudge says.

"Lemme guess, that's why you're here." Says Jack.

"Have you heard the rumors? About the Ghost?" Trudge asks.

"The Ghost?" Asks Yusei.

"Yeah, I think so! He's that guy who's supposed to appear at night, challenge you to a duel, an' then force you into a crash, right?" Crow asks, conspiratorially.

"Yeah. As you know, when New Domino City and Satellite were linked up, turbo-duels were legalized. It didn't take long before all types of special courses were being built, but it wasn't until the Grand Prix was announced, and they came out with that new 'Speed World Two' card, that things really went into overdrive. Duelists from all over were battling on side-streets and highways, day and night." Says Minako.

"Of course they were! There's no better way to sharpen your skills for the Grand Prix than with a freewheelin' turbo-duel!" Crow says.

"I agree, because there are supposed to be safety measures in place to make sure that no one gets injured." Says Minako.

"Wait, are you saying that Ghost's not a rumor, that he's real and he's found a way to bypass the safety measures?!" Jack asks.

"That's correct, Mr. Atlas. You're quite astute." Says Minako. "Don't tell 'im that, Chief, it'll go to his head!" Trudge says.

"So what's this gotta do with us? I mean, it's clear what has to be done! Someone's gotta go out late at night, take 'im on in a turbo-duel and beat 'im!" Says Crow.

"Exactly right!" Trudge says. He and Minako look at Yusei. "So how 'bout it?" Asks Trudge.

"Uh, so how about what?" Yusei asks.

Crow's new yellow jacket has a stylized blackbird on the back. "Ohh, no! I know where you're goin' with this, Trudge, and you can just forget it!" Says Crow.

Yusei, Skylara and Jack look more ambivalent.

But Crow isn't beyond telling them no to their faces. "Don't get me wrong, I hate that people're getting hurt, but we've got the Grand Prix to prepare for, and we don't have any time to spare! You guys're Security, you take care of it!" Crow says. He all but shoves Trudge and Minako out the door. The crowd has dispersed. "Thanks for droppin' in! Great seein' ya! Bye!" Says Crow.

He closes the door and bolts it. "Now, let's get back to work, shall we?" Crow asks.

"Uh." Says Yusei. Jack sighs, he has one of his arms wrapped around Skylara's waist. "Okay." Jack says.

Trudge and Minako are driving one of Domino's highways. Trudge is driving, on the right hand side, with Minako in the passenger seat. "You take rejection pretty well, Trudge." Says Minako. "How else should I take it? What Crow said was right. Just because they saved the City once shouldn't mean they have to step up every time there's a problem. They should be allowed to live their lives however they like. We're Security, so we should catch this guy." Trudge says. "Mm. But how?" Asks Minako. _"By doing exactly what Crow suggested!"_ Trudge thinks to himself.

Night. A garage door opens ahead of Trudge and his Security-model duel runner. He's wearing his usual riding suit. "Okay, men. You see any sign of the Ghost and you radio to me!" Trudge says, via-radio. He rides out of the garage, followed by five or so more officers on runners. Trudge is riding along the street. _"It's my turn to be the hero._ _A_ _fter all, how hard could it be?"_ Trudge thinks to himself.

Trudge rides his runner on the highways of New Domino, late at night. _"Feels good to have a duel disk strapped on."_ Trudge thinks to himself.

Flashback. In a rather familiar turbo-duel, Trudge skids sideways, as he directs his Montage Dragon against Yusei and his Junk Warrior. _"In fact, I don't think I've had a turbo-duel in the line of duty since the good old days with Yusei!"_ Trudge thinks to himself, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. _"And if he had the chops to save the City, then so do I! And tonight, I'm gonna prove it to everyone!"_ Trudge thinks to himself.

Then his runner screen lights up. "Unidentified duelist approaching." Says the computer. "Whaddaya know, an unregistered duel runner. Jackpot, it must be the Ghost!" Trudge says. He rides on.

The shadowy challenger pursues.

Trudge watches his runner screen. "And he's forcing me into a turbo-duel, perfect! Let's do this! I activate the field spell, 'Speed World Two'!" Says Trudge. "Duel mode, engaged. Autopilot, activated." The computer says. A wave of purple light spreads out from Trudge's runner, tinting the clouds above fuchsia. Big, illuminated, and very visible signs pop up at intervals along the road, each reading duel lane. Trudge changes lanes, as a holographic barrier springs up between the lane he changes into and the rest of the street. Trudge coasts around a corner.

His opponent follows.

They're now traveling on one of the narrower tracks with rounded edges, built especially for duel runners.

"Hope you can keep up! My move!" Says Trudge. He draws. "And I summon Samurai Sword Baron!" Trudge says. Samurai Sword Baron has 1600 attack points and is a level 4 monster. "But since I went first, I can't attack with him. So, I'll end my turn there!" Says Trudge.

"Then it's to me!" He draws. "And I summon Wise Core in defense mode." Wise Core has 0 attack points and 0 defense points. "Also, I'll place two cards facedown."

 _"This is the duelist that everyone is so afraid of? He plays a monster with zero attack points? Huh! Beating him and locking him up will be easier than I thought!"_ Trudge thinks to himself. "I'm gonna put you in cuffs, Ghost!" Trudge says. He draws. "My turn! I summon Jutte Fighter!" Says Trudge. Jutte Fighter has 700 attack points and is a level 2 monster. "And now I'm going to tune 'im with my Samurai Sword Baron for a synchro-summon! Say hello to Goyo Guardian!" Trudge says. Goyo Guardian has 2800 attack points and is a level 6 monster. "And say goodbye to your monster because when Goyo Guardian takes down that Wise Core, he steals it to my side of the field! Do your thing, Goyo!" Says Trudge.

"Not so fast! I activate 'Negate Attack'!"

Negate Attack's shielding force repels Goyo's lasso.

"Uggh. So that's how you wanna play it, huh, Ghost?! Fine, you may've stopped his attack, but his attack points are still locked and loaded for next round! But before we get to that, take this! I activate the 'Speed Spell-Count Up'! It lets me gain two speed counters for every card I send to the graveyard!" Trudge says. He discards one, the effect monster Gonogo, and his speed counters increase to 4. "Next I activate the effect of 'Speed World Two'! Now by removing four speed counters, I deal eight hundred points of damage for each speed spell in my hand! And since I currently hold two speed spells, you take sixteen-hundred points of damage!" Says Trudge. His speed counters decrease to zero, his attack appears in the form of a wave of fire from his rear engine. "Feel the heat!" Trudge says.

"Nnngh-ouagh!" The Ghost's lifepoints decrease to 2400.

Trudge falls behind him, with his reduced speed. "Hey, look on the bright side. Since you took damage from 'Speed World Two', you don't lose any of your speed counters." Says Trudge. He laughs. "Your turn now!" Trudge says.

"And I'll make you pay with it! I activate the trap 'Spark Breaker'! It destroys all the monsters on my field!" The card crackles with electrical energy, and Wise Core disintegrates.

"What?! Why would you wanna destroy your own monsters?" Asks Trudge.

"Because when Wise Core's destroyed due to a card effect, I'm allowed to summon Machine Emperor Wisel from my deck or hand!" Above the Ghost and his runner, five glowing cards appear fanned in midair, lighting up the sky.

"Rrrghh!" Trudge winces away from the light, then looks up, shocked, as Goyo Guardian gets sucked into the light, the glowing green infinity symbol above, and vanishes. "No! Goyo Guardian!" Trudge says.

Above, where the infinity symbol has glowed, a monster appears around it with the infinity across its chest. Its attack points are off the charts, rising from 2500 to 5800, immediately.

"No way! What's happening?! Uuuugghhh?! Whaaaaaaaahhhh!" Says Trudge. That giant glowing green infinity symbol is the last thing he sees.

The runner schematics on Yusei's computer screen suddenly go fuzzy. "Huh?" Yusei asks.

And there's a big explosion on a runner track somewhere in Domino. Trudge's runner lies fallen on the ground on its side, smoking. Some distance away, Trudge's helmet lies abandoned, its visor cracked to pieces.

Crow yawns as he rides home late at night. _"Ugh, another night shift in the books. Holding down a job and being a full-time duelist sure takes it outta ya."_ Crow thinks to himself.

He hears sirens. Crow's riding past a loop of runner track, on which an ambulance has parked. Crow looks over at the accident, stops riding, and takes off his goggles. Then Crow recognizes Trudge, being loaded into the ambulance.

Trudge is wrapped in bandages, like a mummy, and is clearly in a lot of pain.

"Trudge!" Says Crow. A tear runs down his cheek, he can't believe it. "I gotta tell Skylara and the guys!" Crow says.

Yusei pushes through the front doors of the hospital, Skylara, who has now let her hair completely down and regained her detached sleeves and long, black coat, and Jack a step behind. "Crow! Minako!" Says Yusei. "Hey." Crow says. "Where's Trudge?!" Asks Jack. "The E.R.!" Minako says. "Will he make it?" Asks Skylara. "The doctors aren't sure yet." Crow says.

They all turn at the sound of a door opening. Trudge is wheeled out into the hallway, still wrapped in bandages.

All five hurry to his side. "Trudge!" Says Jack. "Nurse, prep the O.R., stat!" Yusei leans over Trudge to see his face. Trudge is wincing, in pain, but conscious. Both sides of Trudge's jaw have gauze pads taped to them. Bandages are wrapped around his forehead and across his cheek, holding in place a swath of them covering his right eye and ear. "What happened? Who did this?!" Yusei asks. "The Ghost...! Watch out...! Synchros are useless!" Says Trudge. "Whadda you mean?" Yusei asks.

The doctors wheel Trudge away. "There's no time to lose! Let's move!" They wheel Trudge through a door, and the light above it lights up, bright red.

All five stand in the hallway for a moment, silent. Jack approaches Minako. "So Trudge took on the Ghost all alone?" Asks Jack. "I'm afraid so. He really took what you guys said to heart, that this was something Security should fix. But I guess it was a bit more than he could handle." Minako says, her voice wavering. The three guys and Skylara are silent. Yusei's eyes narrow, he's come to a decision.

The first-story windows of Zora's building blaze fluorescent light.

Inside. Crow hits the WRGP poster on the wall with a fist. "Man! This is all my fault, I'm the one who turned 'im down!" Says Crow, angrily.

Jack is leaning against a wall nearby.

Skylara is sitting on a chair, almost similar to throne form, one leg crossed over the other, and one hand against her cheek.

Yusei sits at a table, fingers laced under his chin, in thought.

All four are tense and worried, but Crow is distraught. "He's all banged-up 'cause a' me." Crow says.

Jack walks across the room, and now stands next to Skylara, who has gotten up from her throne-styled chair. Skylara turns to Crow. "Stop it, Crow. That isn't true, and playing the blame game won't solve anything. It certainly won't stop the Ghost." Says Skylara, as she walks off.

Jack follows a step behind.

"Then what?! Should we all just sit around here and pout?!" Crow asks.

"Actually." Says Skylara.

Crow catches his riding helmet that she tossed to him.

"I have a better idea." Skylara says. Yusei is putting on his gloves, while Jack has picked up his own helmet. "We go find the Ghost, and we take him down!" Says Skylara. "Right! No one hurts one of our pals and gets away with it!" Jack says, backing up her words.

In short order, sheets are thrown off of their duel runners, each one shiny and ready for action. Yusei's red runner, with its aerodynamic, wave-motion design, Jack's white runner, with its distinctive circular shape, and Skylara's black runner, with its futuristic structure.

Crow begins to cheer up. "All right! Let's go! Yeah!" Says Crow. He jams his helmet onto his head and hurries over to them.

The garage door opens, Jack is on the right wing, Crow left, Skylara, also to the right, and Yusei riding center. They rev up their engines, race up the ramp outside, and out onto the dark streets. Jack splits off to Yusei's left, Skylara follows beside him, Crow to his right.

"Lovely night for a duel!" Jack says, cool and confident, via-radio.

"I'll say, and for some major payback!" Says Crow.

Yusei hears Crow over his radio. "This is gonna be fun!" Crow says, via-radio. Yusei is somber, ready to avenge Trudge.

The teardrop-loop arch looms on the skyline.

Crow keeps riding. "Looks like the sun is startin' to come up." Says Crow.

"We have been riding around all night long and there hasn't been one sign of the Ghost!" Skylara says.

Then, Yusei's runner screen starts beeping. It shows a camera feed behind the runner, of a duel runner appearing over the horizon behind him. "Huh?" Asks Yusei. "Unidentified duelist approaching from the rear." The computer says. "The Ghost! It's just gotta be!" Says Yusei. "All right!" Jack says, via-radio. "Get 'im!" Says Crow, via-radio. "Setting 'Speed World Two'!" Yusei says. He presses the button on top of his right-side hand grip. The card image flashes across his runner screen, as it switches to a dueling display, a glimpse at the clock on his screen that reads 5:10 A.M. and his speed's fluctuating around 100 kph. "Duel mode engaged. Autopilot activated." Says the computer. A ring of light spreads from Yusei's runner. The duel lane signs pop up and a red glowing holographic barrier separates him from the main road. Loudspeakers blare on the nearby streets. "A turbo-duel is about to commence. All non-dueling vehicles must vacate the combat lane immediately." The computer says. "It's go-time!" Says Yusei. His runner screen is showing schematics of New Domino's runner courses. "Formulating cross-town duel course, and awaiting Central Grid Authority's official authorization. Authorization, granted." The computer says.

The entire street is elevated a story upward by means of a rather extravagantly nifty mechanized system. Apparently this happens every time there's a turbo-duel starting in the streets. The side of the elevated street bears a scrolling ticker that reads, duel lane set-caution. "Combat lane transfiguration, underway. Combat lane transfiguration, underway." Says the computer. The track on top of the building lights up, back lit for easy visibility.

Yusei and the Ghost race across it and onto a curve-sided runner track.

"Let's rev it up!" Yusei says.

"Me first! And I think I'll summon Wise Core from my hand!" Says Ghost.

Wise Core is a level-one dark-attribute machine-type monster, with zero attack points, and zero defense points.

"Then I'll place one card face down to end my turn!" Ghost says.

"A monster with zero attack points? My turn now! You may not care for attack points, but I tend to like them! Come on out, Max Warrior!" Says Yusei. Max Warrior has 1600 attack points and is a level 4 monster. "Now, Max Warrior, attack Wise Core! Oh, and by the way. When Max Warrior attacks, he gains four hundred points to help with his assault! Now let 'im have it!" Yusei says.

"No, he'll keep it, because I activate the trap 'Labyrinth of Klein'! This makes all battle damage for the turn become zero, and keeps any monsters from getting destroyed! But there's more. The monster that waged the attack now has his original attack points swapped with his original defense points!" Says Ghost.

Max Warrior switches to defense mode and his attack points become 800 due to his own ability. _"He's protecting that Wise Core. But the question is, why?"_ Yusei thinks to himself. "Oh well. If I destroy it, it won't matter. Which is why I'm gonna special-summon, Turbo Booster!" Yusei says. Turbo Booster has 0 attack points and is a level1 monster. "Ya see, since I successfully summoned a monster this turn, I'm now allowed to special-summon Turbo Booster from my hand. He won't hang around for long, but long enough for me to take down your Wise Core! That's right, since he mixed it up with Max Warrior, he's fair game to take down!" Says Yusei.

Turbo Booster itself explodes, as it shoots its arm-rockets toward Wise Core. Two direct hits.

The Ghost, unfazed, draws even with Yusei. Even at this close range, his face is obscured. "Hmph. Why, thank you." Ghost says.

"Huh!" Says Yusei.

The Ghost's eyes can be seen through his visor, they are an unnatural shade of yellow, and slightly luminescent. "Fool! Don't you know? When Wise Core is destroyed due to an effect, all monsters on my field are destroyed, but I then get to summon Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity, Wisel Top!" Ghost says. Wisel Top has 500 attack points. "Wisel Attack!" Says Ghost. Wisel Attack has 1200 attack points. "Wisel Guard!" Ghost says. Wisel Guard has 1200 attack points. "And Wisel Carrier from my deck or my hand!" Says Ghost. Wisel Carrier has 800 attack points.

"Impossible! Five monsters summoned at once?!" Yusei asks.

"That depends on how you look at it. I activate the special ability of Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity!" Says Ghost. Two hatches open up on Wisel Infinity, each in the shape of a teardrop facing the other, an infinity symbol. One of the five pieces unfolds to become an arm, as does another, a third unfolds legs, and they start to snap together. A hatch opens in the top of Wisel Infinity and a head snaps down into it. The head unfolds, it's armored in white metal, like the rest of the giant robot, and its face is black with glowing red outlines, not unlike the visage of an Earthbound Immortal. Green lights can be seen fusing and smoldering in its chest. It's big, it's bad, it's a huge fighting robot. The light of the rising sun glistens off its shiny metal. "Hahahahahahaha!" Ghost laughs.

Yusei turns his head and looks up at the huge robot looming above him.

"From five comes one, and now you're done!" Ghost says.

"Uh-oh. So much for payback!" Says Yusei.

The robot reaches for him with one giant metal hand.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2: A New Threat: Part 2_

It is now well into the morning, the sun gleams between the tall skyscrapers at the center of the city. The clock on the front of Zora's building reads half-past 5 in the morning, maybe Domino's just that sunny, or maybe it's broken.

Luna and Leo run through the plaza outside, and burst through the front doors of the entrance to Yusei, Skylara, Jack and Crow's basement flat. In the six months, Leo and Luna are now both twelve. "Yusei?" Leo asks. They look around.

A large door that may be the garage door is wide open. The tarps or blankets that covered Skylara and the guys' duel runners are in disarray on the floor.

Akiza is standing at the table against one wall, strewn with papers and notepads, with a map posted on the wall above it. In the six months, Akiza's now seventeen.

"Hey, where is every, huh?" Asks Leo. "Akiza?" Luna asks. "What're you doing here? Where're Skylara and the guys?" Asks Leo.

"I don't know, but I had this bad feeling." Akiza says.

Luna is holding her right forearm. "Oh, no. And I thought it was just me." Says Luna.

Akiza looks at her own right forearm. "I'm afraid not, my Mark has been signaling me, as well. Something's wrong." Akiza says. She gazes at her arm. "After all, the bond we share as Signers is a strong one." Says Akiza.

Luna is gazing at her own forearm.

"If one of us is in danger, we all can feel it. Take heart, Yusei has a strong spirit. He can take care of himself." Akiza says.

The twins share a look, dubiously.

Akiza looks up at the window above. "I hope." Says Akiza.

The duel rages onward.

Jack, Skylara and Crow are following it, one on each of three highways that run parallel to the duel track.

"What is that thing?! I've never seen a duel monster like it!" Crow says.

"Seems the Ghost has a few tricks up his sleeve." Says Jack.

Yusei zooms onward with his Max Warrior, while the Ghost and his Machine Emperor Wisel loom behind.

"C'mon, let's get a closer look!" Crow says.

Coming up is a point where the duel track and the highway converge side-by-side, the gate between them is labeled with a sign that reads duel gate 0014.

Jack, Skylara and Crow are now riding side-by-side.

Skylara's runner screen shows an image of Machine Emperor Wisel, then shows the cards of which it's composed. "What in the world? That one monster is made up of five different duel cards? How can that be? Or better yet, how can Yusei take it down?" Asks Skylara.

"I dunno, but he better figure out a way fast! For all we know, that's the creature that put Trudge in the hospital, and maybe the others, too!" Jack says.

"Yeah. If Yusei can't crash that creature, then he could end up crashing." Says Crow.

"I place two cards face down to end my turn!" Yusei says.

"To me, then." Says Ghost. He draws. "And to my Machine Emperor Wisel. Attack Max Warrior with Stainless Steel Slash!" Ghost says.

"Huh, I activate the trap 'Shock Reborn'! Now, all battle damage dealt to me is cut in half! Sure, this is still gonna hurt, but it's not gonna hurt as much!" Says Yusei.

Machine Emperor Wisel scores Max Warrior across the front, his monster explodes in a huge cloud of black smoke.

Yusei hangs on, riding through it. "Hhuugh. Thanks, 'Shock Reborn'." Yusei says. His lifepoints now stand at 3150. "And thanks for the monster I can now summon! Because due to my trap, I can bring back a monster with less attack points than the damage I just took! That means, you're up, Turbo Booster!" Says Yusei.

"You'll need a bigger boost than that to stand a chance against me! I place one card face down and end my turn! Heheheheheheheheheheh." Ghost says.

"Then I'm up!" Says Yusei. _"And up for some serious damage if I can't find a way to get back in this duel! It's now or never._ _Okay_ _, time to turn things around before the Ghost turns me into his latest victim. The only question is, how? Hmm."_ Yusei thinks to himself. He glances over the cards on his field, Turbo Booster and a face down card, and the cards in his hand, Gauntlet Warrior, 'Speed Spell-Angel Baton' and Debris Dragon. _"Wait a sec."_ Yusei thinks to himself.

He visualizes a combo, 'Angel Baton', Gauntlet Warrior, Debris Dragon, Turbo Booster, Stardust Dragon and his face down 'Meteor Wave'.

 _"That's it!"_ Yusei thinks to himself. "I activate the 'Speed Spell-Angel Baton'! With this, if I have two or more speed counters, I get to draw two cards from my deck! Then I have to discard one card in my hand to the graveyard. But it's all worth it, because now I can summon, the dreaded Debris Dragon! And he's dreaded because when this beast is summoned, I'm allowed to bring back a monster from my grave with less than five hundred attack points, so come forth, Gauntlet Warrior!" Yusei says. Gauntlet Warrior has 400 attack points and is a level 3 monster. "And now I'll tune 'im with my two other monsters, Turbo Booster and Debris Dragon, in order to synchro-summon, Stardust Dragon!" Says Yusei. Debris Dragon forms four rings, through which Gauntlet Warrior's three and Turbo Booster's one stars align. "Let's rev it up!" Yusei says. Stardust Dragon has 2500 attack points, is a level 8 monster and is a wind type monster.

"All right, what a move! That puts Yusei right on top!" Says Crow.

"Hmhmhmhmhm." Ghost laughs.

"Next I activate the trap, 'Meteor Wave'! Now, for this one turn, my synchro monster's attack points are increased by three hundred!" Yusei says. Stardust's new total is 2800.

"Then you'd better make the most of it! Yusei, let 'im have it!" Says Jack.

"With pleasure! Stardust Dragon, attack that Machine Emperor Wisel!" Yusei says.

"I activate Wisel Guard's special ability! Now he takes your attack, and Machine Emperor is left unharmed!" Says Ghost.

"What?!" Yusei asks.

His attack hits Wisel's arm, big explosion, cloud of smoke.

"Clever move, but it doesn't stop the effect of my 'Meteor Wave'! Now since my monster attacked your monster in defense mode, and had higher attack points than your defense points, you take damage equal to the difference!" Says Yusei.

The Ghost's lifepoints decrease all the way to 2400.

"Way to go, Yusei! I wish Trudge coulda been here to see that!" Crow says.

Machine Emperor's still standing, though, looming over Yusei with only one arm left. _"I can't believe that Wisel Guard was able to block my attack! Oh, well, at least it's outta the way now."_ Yusei thinks to himself. "I place one card face down and end my turn!" Says Yusei.

 _"This duelist is not like the others!"_ Ghost thinks to himself. A picture of Yusei's face comes up on his runner monitor. _"Ah, that explains it! Yusei Fudo, the individual who defeated Director Goodwin! I suppose that I should be trembling in my boots. Hmph! But then again, that's not really in my nature. No! I'm unlike any duelist Yusei has ever faced!"_ Ghost thinks to himself. "It's my turn! And first I'll summon Wisel Guard Three!" Ghost says.

Wisel Guard Three is a dark-attribute level-three machine-type monster, that can redirect your opponent's attack to itself.

Wisel Guard Three hovers up and attaches electromagnetically to the arm socket where Wisel Guard was. "Nothing like having a few spare parts handy." Says Ghost.

"Whoa, did you just see that? He repaired his monster!" Crow says.

"A combo monster! Yusei can chip away at that thing all he wants, but the Ghost can just keep fixing it!" Says Skylara.

"Not good." Yusei says.

"Oh, Yusei! Hmhm, don't you see, it's no use! My Machine Emperor will never break down." Says Ghost.

 _"As much as I hate to admit it, he's right. If the Ghost has enough cards in his deck to keep rebuilding that thing, he can just keep blocking all my attacks! Talk about a well-oiled machine!"_ Yusei thinks to himself.

"Hmhmhmhmheheh, you'll soon be going down like all the rest, Yusei! The moment you lose is the moment you crash!" Ghost says.

"So is that what this is all about for you? Bullying random duelists you find on the road?!" Asks Yusei.

"Hah! Bullying? Of course not, that's just an added bonus, dessert for after I achieve what I've really set out to accomplish." Ghost says.

"Whadda you talking about?" Asks Yusei.

"I'm talking about useless little things called synchro monsters! That's why I cruise the roads at night, Yusei! So that I can find them and rid the world of the wretched things! And now it's time to rid the world of yours! Watch the synchro-slayer at work!" Ghost says.

"You're out of your mind!" Says Yusei.

"Oh, am I? Machine Emperor Infinity, demonstrate! I activate your special ability!" Ghost says.

Machine Emperor Wisel's chest glows in an infinity symbol, beams shoot out of it and wrap around Stardust's limbs, neck, waist and torso, like glowing ropes, dragging Yusei's monster toward it. Stardust roars and fights against them.

"Stardust Dragon!" Says Yusei.

"It's too late, Yusei! There's nothin' you can do! Your dragon is about to become just another gear in my machine!" Ghost says.

"No!" Says Yusei.

Stardust Dragon shrieks one final time, and turns into light, getting sucked into Machine Emperor Wisel's chest.

"Did you see that?! His monster has been…" Jack says.

"Has been trapped!" Says Crow.

"Stardust Dragon, no! Ah!" Yusei says.

Flashback. Yusei recalls Trudge's warning to him. "The Ghost...! Watch out...! Synchros are useless!" Says Trudge. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Trudge tried to warn me! This is what he meant! 'Synchros are useless' because the Ghost can capture them!" Yusei says, muttering to himself.

"Oh, they're not useless, at least not to me! Because now that your Stardust Dragon is mine, his attack points are mine, too! That's right, Yusei! Thanks to your synchro monster, my Machine Emperor now gains twenty-five hundred more attack points to do damage to you with!" Says Ghost. Machine Emperor Wisel's new attack point total is 5000. Its left arm, its attack arm, is glowing with Stardust's iridescent shimmer, and seems to be taking on vestiges of the shape of the dragon's distinctive head.

"Oh no! It absorbed all of Stardust Dragon's strength?!" Yusei asks.

"This isn't good!" Says Skylara.

"Huh! Okay, then, Machine Emperor, attack his lifepoints directly! Tell me how it feels, Yusei! To have your own monster play a part in your demise!" Ghost says.

"If Yusei takes this hit, he's gonna hit the asphalt!" Says Crow.

"Then he'd better do something, and quick!" Jack says.

The bridges crisscrossing New Domino's sea looks a bit like a half-woven spider web. The jewel atop the golden teardrop at their center shines and sparkles, like a diamond, as the sun shines right through it.

Below and to one side, Yusei and the Ghost race past.

"There's no escape, Yusei! Your fate is to lose at the hands of my Machine Emperor!" Says Ghost.

"Wrong! I play 'Scrap-Iron Scarecrow'! Thanks to this trap card, when your monster attacks, I can negate that attack, and then I'm allowed to place it right back down on the field to use again!" Yusei says. 'Scrap-Iron Scarecrow' absorbs the blast, then retreats back into its card and replaces itself face down on the field.

"Fine! You survive this round. I place two cards face down and end my turn." Says Ghost.

"Then it's my move! First I'll summon Bicular in defense mode!" Yusei says. Bicular has 200 defense points. "And then I'll end my turn with a face down card!" Says Yusei.

"Heheheheheheh. You call that a move?" Ghost asks.

 _"I don't have anything in my hand that can beat that Emperor! For now, I just have to try and hold on."_ Yusei thinks to himself.

"My turn! And I'll start it off by playing the trap 'Wise A-Three'! With this card, by sending the Wisel Attack I have on the field to the graveyard, I can summon Wisel Attack Three from my hand!" Says Ghost. Wisel Attack 3 has 1600 attack points and is a level 3 monster. Machine Emperor Wisel's left arm disappears, and it gets outfitted with a new, nastier-looking one that has a long sword blade built into it.

"Why would I do such a thing? You guessed it! Because Wisel Three raises my Emperor's attack points even more!" Ghost says. Machine Emperor's new total is 5400. "And now I'll have 'im use those attack points to lay waste to you!" Says Ghost.

"Ungh! I re-activate 'Scrap-Iron Scarecrow'!" Yusei says.

Jack, Skylara and Crow are keeping pace behind the duel over the Ghost's shoulder.

"I don't know how long Yusei can hold on like this." Says Skylara.

"But what else can 'e do? His best monster has been effectively turned against him! Playing that trap's his only chance to survive." Jack says.

"Actually, I got a bad feeling that trap might not be enough, Jack." Says Skylara.

Ahead, they hear the Ghost begin to laugh, evilly.

"Ghost sounds like he's up to something." Skylara says.

"Ahahahaha, hahahahah! Tell me you didn't think I'd fall for the same trap twice! I activate the trap 'Battle Return'! Thanks to this card, by cutting the attack points of the monster I just targeted in half, I'm allowed to attack with 'im once again!" Says Ghost.

"What?" Yusei asks.

Machine Emperor Wisel's attack points descend to 2700. "Machine Emperor Wisel, go!" Says Ghost. His monster lunges for Yusei.

"Yusei's in for it now! That trap a' his only works once per turn!" Crow says.

"Yusei!" Says Skylara.

Machine Emperor Wisel annihilates Yusei's Bicular, the impact causes Yusei's runner to swerve and sway as he fights for control.

"And don't forget Wisel Three's special ability! Since its attack points are greater than your monster's defense points, the difference is dealt to you as damage!" Ghost says.

Yusei's lifepoints plummet to 650. "Now, I play a special ability! The ability of Bicular! You see, when he's destroyed in battle, I'm then allowed to summon this guy, Unicycular!" Says Yusei. Unicycular has 100 attack points and is a level 1 monster.

"Whatever, on to my next move! I activate my face down, 'Trap Recycle'! True, I must get rid of a card in my hand to use this trap, but then I get to return to my hand a trap in my graveyard! And the trap I want back is, 'Battle Return'!" Ghost says. He places it in his hand next to 'Speed Spell-Reload'. "But it can't wage battle just yet. I'm not allowed to place this card back on the field until my next turn." Says Ghost.

"Then that means Yusei has this one turn to turn things around, or he's done for, for sure!" Crow says.

"You're absolutely right, Crow! Because once that 'Battle Return' card is laid down, Yusei's lifepoints will be going down the tubes!" Says Jack.

"Ugh! Here goes! Hhaagh." Yusei says.

"Hmhmhmhmhm. It seems that someone didn't get the card that they were hoping for. What will you do now, Yusei? After all, there are no second chances in a duel!" Says Ghost.

"Wait a second, there are! I activate the effect of 'Speed World Two'! Thanks to the field spell, by removing seven speed counters I can draw one more card from my deck!" Yusei says. _"And there's only one card that can help me, but I'll need all the help I can get to draw it! Skylara, I hate asking this favor of you since it weakens you, but please lend me your powers!"_ Yusei thinks to himself.

Then, as she stares at her runner screen, the Mark of the Dragon's Head on Skylara's arm starts to shine through her detached sleeve and coat sleeve. The symbol on Skylara's right cheek and the markings that run along the sides of her neck begin glowing, as well.

Crow's Sign glows red through his cloth arm guard. "Whoa!" Says Crow.

As that happens, the additional markings that are etched down Skylara's lower back start flaring.

Jack's Sign burns bright through his glove and sleeve. "Why're our Marks glowing?!" Jack asks.

The symbolic designs burned into Skylara's right shoulder-blade soon begin glowing.

Akiza and Luna are holding their right forearms side-by-side, watching their two Signs light up. Leo is standing between them, eyes bugging. "How strange." Says Akiza. "What's happening, you guys?" Leo asks. "I'm not sure, but I think it's Skylara! I think Yusei needs our help!" Says Luna.

The extra markings that run along Skylara's arms and legs start lighting up.

Yusei's Sign then glows through his sleeve and glove.

The symbolic designs etched into Skylara's left shoulder-blade soon flares, as well.

Jack, Crow, Luna, Akiza, Yusei and Skylara's Signs vanish from their arms just as suddenly as they glowed.

The Seal of the Crimson Dragon, all six marks combined, ignites on Skylara's abdomen, glimmering through her shirt. _"Of course I_ _shal_ _l help you, Yusei._ _E_ _ven if it means risking my own life to do so."_ Skylara thinks to herself. As she reopens her eyes, they're now glowing crimson red, the red gradation portion of her hair is also flaring in crimson red light. "Go forth and aid my brother for this final draw!" Skylara says, her voice now menacing and echoic. She places one of her hands on her chest, right over her heart. The Seal of the Crimson Dragon on Skylara's abdomen starts to go dim. Skylara then moves her hand off of her chest and as she does, the Crimson Dragon's heart of power appears out of her chest and hovers within her hand. "Lend him your powers, now!" Says Skylara.

The heart of power goes forth and hits Yusei right between the shoulder-blades, which causing him to react a little. The Seal of the Crimson Dragon now ignites on Yusei's back, glowing through his jacket. "The Mark of the Crimson Dragon! It's lending me its power for this one last draw! Ghost! You're about to see that the power of synchro monsters can never be contained! And right here is the proof!" Yusei says. The top card of his deck starts to glow yellow. Yusei draws and raises the card high. "Now, watch! I summon the Majestic Dragon!" Says Yusei. Majestic Dragon has 0 attack points and is a level 1 monster. "And next I activate 'Synchro Material'. Thanks to this trap, I can now synchro-summon with monsters that are on your side of the field! Monsters like the Stardust Dragon!" Yusei says.

"What?!" Asks Ghost.

"That's right, return Stardust!" Yusei says.

"Ugh! No! This isn't fair, I captured him! He's mine!" Says Ghost.

"Not anymore, he's not!" Yusei says. Stardust Dragon takes the field once again, roaring to the sky.

"He got 'im back!" Says Jack.

"And that's just to start!" Crow says.

"Hm! Now, Stardust Dragon! Tune with Unicycular and Majestic Dragon!" Says Yusei. His monsters perform the dance of a synchro-summon. "Ghost, you called synchro monsters wretched little things that the world should be rid of! Well, now it's their turn to respond, and they'll respond with all their might! Show 'im what I mean, Majestic Star Dragon!" Yusei says. Majestic Star Dragon has 3800 attack points and is a level 10 monster. "And don't forget, since Machine Emperor lost Stardust, he also lost that attack point bonus!" Says Yusei.

Machine Emperor's attack points are now a mere 2900. "Don't you forget, I still have Wisel Guard Three and thanks to his special ability, any attack you try to wage will just be blocked!" Ghost says.

"That's where you're wrong, because Majestic Star Dragon negates the special ability of your Wisel Guard!" Says Yusei.

"So what! Your attack's still not strong enough to defeat all the parts of my Emperor!" Ghost says.

"It doesn't have to be! After all he's a combo monster, not a synchro! I'm afraid your Machine Emperor's greatest strength is also his greatest weakness." Says Yusei.

"Ah! No! You're wrong!" Ghost says.

"Attack 'im and you'll only destroy one part, but if it's the right part, all the others will go with it! Majestic Star Dragon, attack!" Says Yusei.

Like a blue star flying straight out of the daylight, Majestic Star swoops in, aiming for Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity, the combo's head. It strikes right through, faster than the eye can see, leaving an explosion and cloud of smoke in its wake and soaring back up to glide above. The headless Machine Emperor starts to spark and crackle with unnatural purple electricity, then explodes.

The Ghost rides through the smoke, his lifepoints falling to zero. "Gghhuuuooooggggghhhh! Aaaaaaaagggh!" The Ghost keeps riding in a straight line and goes over the edge of the track. He hits the ground below in a big explosion of smoke and flame.

"Ghost!" Yusei says.

Jack, Skylara and Crow brake at the edge where a column of smoke is wafting up from the crash site and run to the edge of the track to look through the translucent plastic side of the track.

The runner hit the ground somewhere in the dense forest below.

"Oh, no!" Says Crow. "Quick! We gotta get down there!" Jack says, as he's now holding onto Skylara, helping her stay to her feet. Even though the Crimson Dragon returned to Skylara, it still leaves an effect for a few minutes afterward.

Ominous black smoke is still curling up from where the Ghost landed in the forest below.

The woman in gold approaches the fried wreck, which is sparking with electricity. The one of late teenage age is with her, practically her possible bodyguard. She picks up a plate of the duel runner, which has the Machine Emperor Wisel cards on it, then looks up at the track.

Majestic Star Dragon can be seen gliding above the trees, serenely.

"Mmmm. Yusei Fudo, it has to be. Well, well. This should certainly make things interesting. Heheheheh." Says the woman in gold, handing the one of late teenage age his five cards. He bows down at her feet, in apology. "My Lady, I have failed you. Please, I ask for your forgiveness. I will accept any punishment you intend to give me, Lady Galaxia." The one of late teenage age says. "No need for any punishment. You are a loyal subject, Primo. Please, rise to your feet." Says Galaxia. "As you wish, Lady Galaxia." Primo says. He then rises to his feet. "You have failed me not. This was only a test, and this was just the beginning." Says Galaxia. "We should leave this area, my Lady. Before Yusei Fudo and his friends arrive here." Primo says. "Indeed we should, Primo." Says Galaxia. As soon as she and Primo leave.

Yusei, Skylara, Jack and Crow run up to the crash site. "Ghost! Are you okay?!" Yusei asks. "C'mon, let's help 'im up and get 'im to a hospital." Says Crow. He reaches for one of the Ghost's shoulders, as soon as he touches it, the static shocks him and the arm falls off at the shoulder, sparking on its own on the ground. "Aah!" Crow says. "Huh!" Says Yusei. "Or maybe a mechanic?!" Crow asks. "What's going on here?! Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?" Asks Jack. The socket that held the arm is a metallic fixture, the Ghost's eyes are open, but lifeless. "So Ghost... was a robot...?" Skylara asks, weakly. "This makes no sense!" Says Jack. "We need some answers." Crow says.

The clock on the front of Zora's building still reads half-past-six, it's clearly broken. This looks more like early afternoon.

In the basement. Several photographs are spread out on the table, one shows the broken, inert Ghost astride his crashed runner, others depict the metal arm socket, the Ghost's face, and similar.

"Good to see you are feeling better, Trudge." Says Skylara.

"Hey, I'm just glad you guys finally caught up with the Ghost." Trudge says. Gathered around the card table are him, Yusei, Crow, Minako, Luna, Leo and Akiza.

Jack is sitting on the throne-styled chair. Skylara is sitting on Jack's lap, sideways.

"So what do you think?" Asks Yusei. "Well, from the looks of these pictures you took, I'd say what we have here is a duel-bot." Trudge says. "Sector Security has been experimenting with robotics. Duel-bots are at the very cutting edge of those experiments." Says Minako.

"So how come this one got loose?" Jack asks.

"Don't know. But my hunch is someone stole a prototype from headquarters, and then they must've somehow reprogrammed it. Now the question is why? I only wish we could check the bot's memory chip." Says Trudge.

"Already did that, Trudge. Only problem is it had nothing on it. My guess..." Skylara says. She tosses the tiny chip to Trudge.

Who catches it in his palm.

"...The Ghost's memory systems were set to automatically erase if it lost a duel." Says Skylara.

Trudge examines the chip, closely, and then turns to her. "You know, it's a crime to tamper with evidence!" Trudge says, accusingly.

Skylara seems to be trying not to smile and snuggles into Jack's shoulder. Jack smiles and holds Skylara close to himself, brushing through the waves of her hair.

"Oh, give it a rest, wouldja? If not for us, Sector Security would still be tryin' to catch the Ghost!" Says Crow. "That's right, no one tries harder!" Trudge says. Minako sighs. Leo is examining the photos, eagerly. "Wow, a dueling robot! So-o awesome!" Says Leo. "Leo, that thing did a lot of damage!" Luna says, scolding. "Oh, yeah." Says Leo, sheepishly. "What I don't understand is all that weird stuff the Ghost was saying about synchro monsters. What's it mean?" Crow asks.

"I don't know, but the one thing that is certain is that there's somebody out there who's up to no good." Says Jack. "I agree, Jack. And if that means that our city is in danger, we have to be ready to defend it." Skylara says.

Crow nods, his light gray eyes warm.

Jack nods, levelly, frowning slightly.

Yusei nods, resolutely.

 _"And be ready at all times, because I have a bad feeling that this duel-bot was just the beginning, and from here on out, things are only going to get worse!"_ Skylara thinks to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3: Lessons Learned_

The building at the center of campus is identifiable by its duel-disk-like design as New Domino's Duel Academy.

From the front of it and to the building on the right. Miss Bartlett is standing at the front entry to the school, greeting her students. She is a plain, redheaded young woman, in a trim orange suit and red tie.

A boy and a girl pass by. "I built my struc' deck, Miss Bartlett." "That's great, Jerry." Miss Bartlett says.

Leo and Luna approach next. "What's up, teach?" Asks Leo. "Good morning, Miss Bartlett." Luna says. "Good morning, you two! You're both up in the Battle Dome today, did you build your decks?" Asks Miss Bartlett. "You bet!" Both Leo and Luna say. Leo and Luna are both carrying backpacks and wearing Duel Academy's school uniform. Luna's in a red Academy blazer, over a white blouse and black skirt, and Leo wears his blue Academy blazer open, over a white shirt, red tie and navy pants.

"Leo! Luna!" Says Akiza. She's running up the front walkway, waving at them. She, too, is wearing a red Academy blazer, over a white button-down shirt, a green tie, a medium-length, black skirt and her usual black stockings. Akiza's swinging a briefcase at her side. "Hey there, Akiza!" Leo says. "'Hey' back atcha!" Says Akiza. "We saw you wipe the dome floor with that Anderson kid yesterday!" Luna says. "You were awesome! And you know what? By the end of the day, you and I are going to be fellow members in the Best-In-Class Club!" Says Leo.

Armed Samurai-Ben Kei slashes Leo's Comrade Swordsman of Landstar, and he hits the ground on his back, his lifepoints falling to zero.

"The winner is, Dexter!" Miss Bartlett says.

Across the field, Leo's best bud, also in a blue Academy blazer, leaps up and down.

Leo huddles miserably on the floor.

Luna, another girl, and two more boys besides Dexter are also watching. "Yeah! Haha!" Says Dexter.

"You may have lost, Leo. But, you lasted more than two rounds this time." Miss Bartlett says.

"Leo, if you wanna be in the Best-In-Class Club, ya have to actually win every now and then." Says Luna.

"Ugh! It's not my fault, it's this stupid deck!" Leo says. He draws the next card on top, Marauding Captain. "Ugh! If only I'd been able to hold out until my next turn! I could've busted out my Power Tool Dragon!" Says Leo.

"Leo, what did I tell you about relying on favorites?! Our lesson this week is on warrior-type decks!" Miss Bartlett says.

"I know, but I'm just not a warrior guy! I do so much better with my Morphtronics!" Says Leo.

One of the boys on the sidelines, with short, spiky hair and a plump build, calls to him. "Leo, duel me after you duel Nathan!"

The other girl on the sidelines besides Luna, a dark-skinned girl, with huge, blonde pigtails, calls next. She speaks with an English accent. "And then me after that!"

"Hey, everyone wants to duel me! I'm, like, the most popular kid in class!" Leo says.

"Well yeah, that and, if we duel you it'll make us look better and our grades'll go up!"

Leo falls over, with embarrassment. "Ohhh! Well, who can make me look better!" Says Leo.

Everyone laughs. "Um, nobody."

The kid on the sidelines who hasn't said anything yet, looks contemptuously bored.

Up above the dueling floor, in addition to Dexter, Leo, Miss Bartlett and the spectators, eight blue-blazered boys and seven red-blazered girls are milling around. An outrageous-looking professor in a red suit is surveying the floor below.

"Yuk it up, little yuk-sters, 'cause tomorrow is your last day at Duel Academy!" He's wearing a pair of sharp, yellow-tinted glasses. He has an impossibly long, thin, and pointy mustache, and a very pointy goatee, as well. His dark gray hair is outlandishly styled in waves around his face, though the back of his hairdo is straight, stiff, and unkempt. "Heeheeheeheehuhuhuh!"

Sometime later, the exterior of the building that Miss Bartlett's students entered earlier. "Hey! Leo! Wait up!" Dexter says.

Leo and Luna stop and turn, they were on their way out.

"Are you going where I think you're going?" Asks Dexter. The blonde girl and the spiky-haired boy are with him, all of them are carrying backpacks that look specially built to accommodate the duel disks sticking out of them. "Yeah, you guys wanna come?" Leo asks. "You bet we do!" Says both the spiky-haired boy and the blonde girl. "Uh, maybe you should go home and study up on warrior decks." Luna says. "I'll do that later!" Says Leo.

Just then, the quiet guy from earlier, walks by.

"Huh? Hey, Sly. We're all gonna go hang out at our friends'. You, uh, you wanna tag along?" Luna asks.

"Please, I'm not the 'tag-along' type. But, you guys have a good time being brain-dead lamewads." Says Sly. He keeps walking.

"That was harsh." Luna says. "He's the wad-brain-lame one." Says Leo. "I think that's the first time I've heard 'im speak." Dexter says. "And hopefully the last! Now, let's get going, I cannot wait to meet these guys!" Says the spiky-haired boy. "Yeah! I've been wanting to meet Yusei since he won the Fortune Cup!" The blonde girl says.

Sly watches them hurry past. _"What? Yusei? Could they really be going to meet Yusei Fudo? Maybe I should tag along after all!"_ Sly thinks to himself. He follows them.

In Zora's basement, Yusei, Crow and Jack are running yet another engine test. Jack is driving the test-engine, Yusei's crouched over a laptop set up on a crate or something on the floor, and Crow's standing off to the side.

Skylara's resting on the couch, with one of her hands lying on her chest, over the wound that she received six months ago, which is glowing crimson red, either she's trying to conjure up enough energy to heal it or to ease the pain.

"Engine's remote synergy holding steady at eighty." Says Yusei. "What?! What happened to the power surge?! The output's still in the red, where's that energy going?!" Crow asks. "Who cares? It's fixed, that's what counts! Listen to that engine, it's purring like a happy little kitten!" Says Jack. Yusei's been typing. "Actually, the surge has been re-routed." Yusei says. "Re-routed?" Asks Crow. "To where?" Jack asks.

Just then, the test runner's automatic deck shuffler starts shuffling the deck slotted into it at a crazy speed, faster and faster until it shoots cards all over the room. "Wha-? Whaaaaaaa!" Says Jack. "Come on!" Crow says.

Skylara opens her eyes and sighs, lightly, her concentration has been broken by the commotion.

As the cards fly through the air, Junk Synchron, Nitro Synchron, Quillbolt Hedgehog, Speed Warrior, Turbo Synchron, Shield Warrior, Max Warrior, Graceful Revival, and several other cards can be noticed.

The runner lets out a huge sigh of steam, and Crow coughs.

Zora appears in the doorway. "Quiet down! I told you, between the hours of two and five, my soap operas are on! And I can't hear them when you rapscallions are in here making a ruckus!" Says Zora.

Skylara sits herself up, still holding at the still glowing wound of six months ago, which seems to have dulled down a bit.

Yusei takes off his safety goggles and Jack takes off his helmet. "Sorry, Zora." Yusei says. "So, what's happening with Gail on 'Eternal Flame'?" Asks Crow. "Has she recovered from her amnesia and found true love yet?" Jack asks.

"The next one to mock my soaps'll clean this garage with a toothbrush!" Says Zora.

Jack and Crow shut up in a hurry. "We're sorry about the racket, Zora." Yusei says.

As always when she notices him, Zora treats him entirely differently. "Oh, Yusei, you are such a doll! Having you stay here has been a treat. You remind me so much of my Reginald, that dear boy was such a charmer when he was your age!" Says Zora. She then turns her attention to Jack and Crow. "As for you two, you're skating on very thin ice with me! One wrong move and you'll be sleeping on the streets with the rats!" Zora says.

Skylara gets up from the couch and walks over to the guys, hiding the pain that she's experiencing at the moment. "We apologize for the noise, Zora." Says Skylara.

Just like how she is with Yusei, Zora treats her completely differently. "Oh, Skylara dear, always so delightful to see you. I truly admire how strong-willed you are, and your patience in dealing with these two on a daily basis." Zora says.

Skylara smiles. "Well, I have lived with all three of them for most of my life. So, it really isn't that big of a deal." Says Skylara. She sits herself on her throne-styled chair, the pain's getting to her more than she's playing out.

"Yes, but being the only girl living with three boys must have its toll. I mean, a young woman like yourself needs her privacy." Zora says.

"Honestly, if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have stuck with my doctor's instructions during my recovery." Says Skylara.

"Oh, I remember when you first came here. You were at the midst of your recovery, and I must say, you look a lot better than you did back when we first met." Zora says.

"Thank you, Zora." Says Skylara.

"Oh, such a doll you are." Zora says. She then glares down at Jack. "You don't deserve someone like her as your girlfriend! I hope you realize that!" Says Zora. She storms out.

A moment of stunned silence.

"Well, she's in a good mood today." Jack says. Crow cups his hands under his eyes like Zora's glasses. "Oh Yusei, you are just like my dear, sweet Reginald, have I mentioned him yet in the last fifteen minutes?" Crow asks, putting on a sarcastic imitation.

Yusei, Jack and Skylara smile. "Come now, boys. Cut Zora some slack, she is letting us stay here for free." Says Skylara. She crosses one of her legs over the other one, her wound soon starts glowing crimson red again and she holds one of her hands over the glowing wound that nearly claimed her life.

"Yeah, yeah. Speakin' a which, I guess somebody has to clean up this mess." Crow says.

Just then, Leo and Luna dash through the door, with their friends in tow. "Yusei!" Says Leo. "We brought some friends over!" Luna says.

"Perfect!" Says Crow, from his tone, he just figured out who's going to clean up all the cards for them. "Hey, guys!" Yusei says. "You're just in time!" Says Crow. "Watch where you're running!" Jack says, slightly irritated.

"Hey, didn't you guys just clean up yesterday?" Asks Leo. "What happened? Did something blow up again?" Luna asks.

Yusei does a small laugh. "Yeah, sorta." Says Yusei. "There's a problem with the sub-generator's E-P-S output." Crow says.

Luna runs over to Skylara. "What happened to you, Skylara? Is your wound causing you pain again?" Asks Luna. "Nothing I haven't dealt with before." Skylara says.

The blonde girl runs over to stand next to Luna. "I can't believe I'm actually meeting you in person. I've been a fan of yours even back when you were using the alias Skylar Alektra. You were never defeated in a duel. In fact, your still undefeated to this day. It's such an honor to be in your presence." Says the blonde girl. "Thank you, the pleasure is mine." Skylara says. "Luna, how do you and Leo even know her in the first place?" Asks the blonde girl. "Oh, she's mine and Leo's caretaker. After she rescued Leo and I a little over two years ago, our parents hired her to look after and take care of us while they were away on their business trips. So, she's been in charge of us ever since." Luna says. "So, she's yours and Leo's nanny then?" Asks the blonde girl. "I guess you can say that." Luna says.

The spiky-haired boy notices Jack and the test runner. He, Dexter, and the blonde girl gather around it. "Sweet! A duel runner! Check it out!" Says the spiky-haired boy. "I've never been so close to one!" The blonde girl says. "Can I touch it?" Asks Dexter. "No way! This is not some little toy!" Jack says. "Please take me out for a spin!" Says the spiky-haired boy. "And then me!" The blonde girl says. "If I won't let you touch it, why would I ever do that?" Asks Jack, ironically. "Here's the deal, the one who picks up the most cards gets to go for a ride first!" Crow asks. "Really?!" Asks Dexter, the spiky-haired boy and the blonde girl. "I'm not taking anyone for a ride, they're just children!" Jack says, indignantly. "Children are the future! Whaddaya guys waitin' for, hop to it!" Says Crow, brightly. The kids cheer and start picking up all the cards. "So, I sorta blew it today in class, Yusei." Leo says. "Ya did, huh?" Asks Yusei.

"He blows it everyday in class." Sly says. He's standing at the top of the stairs, having followed them there.

Everyone looks up. "Hmm?" Asks Leo. "Sly!" Luna says. "I thought you were off being cool!" Says Leo.

Sly turns to leave.

Luna jumps up. "Wait, don't listen to my brother!" Luna says.

Sly stops and turns.

Luna hurries up the ramp to Sly. "I'm glad you came by. Come on in!" Says Luna. She takes his hand and starts tugging Sly down the ramp with her. Sly tugs back. "This is Sly, he's in my trap card class. He's a great duelist! Aren'tcha, Sly?" Luna asks. They get to the bottom of the ramp. "Good to meetcha." Says Yusei. "Huh! So, you're the great Yusei. You don't seem that great to me!" Sly says, jeeringly. "Oh, that's nice..." Says Leo. "Why's everybody standing around flapping their mouths?! Less yapping, more picking up!" Crow says.

There's a flurry of activity. All of the kids are back to picking up cards, including Sly. _"What'm I doing, why did I even come here? Hmm?"_ Sly thinks to himself. Then he notices, among the other fallen cards, a very special one. _"Wow! That's, Stardust Dragon!"_ Sly thinks to himself.

From across the room. "I've already got ten, Bob!" Says Dexter, gloating. "That's 'cause you've got nimble hands, Dex!" Bob says.

Sly crawls over to the precious card, tentatively.

"Leo, I had that one!" Says Luna. "Well, you're too slow, sis!" Leo says. "Is this Nitro Warrior?" Asks the blonde girl.

Sly picks up Stardust and looks at it closer.

Yusei kneels on the ground, right behind Sly. "Has anyone found Stardust Dragon yet?" Yusei asks. Sly offers him the card, reluctantly, looking almost guilty. "Uh, is that this one?" Asks Sly. Yusei, smiling, accepts it. "Let me see. Yeah. Thanks." Yusei says. Sly turns away to keep him from seeing the frustration in his face. _"Nnngh! Only one person deserves that card and that person's me!"_ Sly thinks to himself.

The fountain in the plaza outside Zora's building gushes merrily. A silvery-brown haired, mustached man in a beige-maroon suit opens the door to Zora's basement. "Excuse me, but, oh! Is anybody even in here?"

Yusei stands up, having been kneeling down to tighten a bolt on the test runner. "Just me." Says Yusei.

"I was hoping I might find Yusei Fudo."

"You found 'im. Whaddaya need?" Yusei asks.

"I, uh, I heard you were good at fixing things and I've got something that needs adjusting.

"Mm-hm?" Asks Yusei.

"It's got a few screws loose, it's not reliable, and it talks too much at faculty meetings."

"It talks too much? What kinda machine're we talkin' about here?" Yusei asks.

"It's, um, a pesky motor called the 'Rudolph Heitman'."

"Never heard of it." Says Yusei.

At Duel Academy, the chattering of a class of students can be heard. "Silence! Rudolph Heitman will not be interrupted by his lowly subordinates!"

Leo, Luna, Bob, and the blonde girl are sitting together at a table. "You're expelling our whole class?!" The blonde girl asks. "What's up with that, Heitman! What did we do wrong?" Asks Bob.

Miss Bartlett is standing by the door, nervously.

The class contains four rows of two four-student worktables each with an aisle down the center, thirteen boys and ten girls in the whole class, including Leo, Luna, Dexter, Bob, the blonde girl and Sly.

Heitman slams his hands down on a desk at the front of the classroom. "Last semester, the academic performance of this school rose up into the stratosphere of excellence like a lead balloon." Heitman says. He starts waving his arms. "And for those of you a little too slow to comprehend sarcasm and metaphor, that means that it did not rise up! It plummeted to the depths of mediocrity faster than you could say failure, and it's because of your class!" Says Heitman.

"Excuse me, Sir, but with all due respect, these kids are enthusiastic duelists! They want to learn and they will, I can vouch for their skill and potential." Miss Bartlett says.

"You see skill in this lot? Perhaps you are part of the problem, Miss Bartlett!" Says Heitman.

"Me? That's not true!" Miss Bartlett says.

Heitman's glasses flash, with malice. "Perhaps I'll suggest to the Chancellor that we should re-evaluate our teacher criteria, and then weed out our faculty accordingly!" Says Heitman.

"Go ahead, Heitman. I'm not ashamed of my track record!" Miss Bartlett says, nervously, but defiant, her voice shaking.

Luna stands up. "It's not Miss Bartlett. We just haven't been giving it our best." Says Luna. "But give us a little bit more time and let us prove to you we're duelists." Leo says.

"You've had plenty of time to prove yourself and you've failed! Especially, you! You're at the bottom of the bottom of the bottom, Leo!" Says Heitman.

Leo grits his teeth, upset at being harangued.

The door to the classroom slides open and Akiza walks in.

"And I'll tell you something else..." Heitman says.

When Akiza walks in, everyone stops talking, her presence commands immediate respect from the students. Many gasp.

"Akiza!" Says Leo.

"Attention, cretins, please welcome a real duelist." Heitman says.

"You can't expel this class, Heitman!" Says Akiza. She strides across the room, approaching his desk.

"What are you talking about, Akiza! I would think one boasting such discipline and aptitude as yourself, would certainly endorse my decision to jettison these parasites from our ranks!" Heitman says.

"How can you call yourself a teacher when you're willing to give up on the kids you're supposed to be teaching?!" Asks Akiza.

"Uh-oh!" Luna says, muttering aside to Leo. "Uh-oh's right! If Akiza gets too worked up, this whole place'll come crashing down!" Says Leo, muttering aside to Luna.

"Uh, excuse me." Yusei says.

Everyone turns.

Yusei is standing in the doorway, carrying a small toolbox.

Several students gasp. "Yusei?" Asks Leo.

"Well, ring my bell and sing me a ditty! It's the Fortune Cup Champion." Heitman says, slightly snidely.

Several rows of the class start cheering.

"What is it that brings you to the once-illustrious halls of Duel Academy?" Asks Heitman.

"I came here to do some repair work." Yusei says.

"Wha-a-a-a? Come again?" Asks Heitman.

"I was told there was something malfunctioning in this classroom and that I should fix it if I could." Yusei says.

"I see. Well, I hope you aren't alluding to these rather pitiful goobers gathered before me. I'm afraid this sorry bunch of students is beyond repair!" Says Heitman.

"That's not true, this class is full of potential!" Miss Bartlett says. "You know what? If you seriously wanna kick out this entire class because you don't think they're good enough, then whatever! But, if they go, then I go with them!" Says Akiza.

"D'you think that's gonna stop me?! This Academy can't indulge the whims of every wannabe nimrod who only knows how to use worthless low-level cards!" Heitman says.

Yusei heard that, and he doesn't look happy.

Heitman waves up a holographic screen and scrolls through dossiers showing students paired with their favorite cards. Leo, Morphtronic Remoten. Luna, Kuribon. Dexter, Batteryman AA. Bob, Flamvell Guard. The blonde girl, Hanewata. Sly, Eccentric Boy. "Look at the sad roster of monsters these runts are toying with, week after week! It's an embarrassment! They can't handle real monsters, which means they can't handle a real duel, which means they have no real abilities! They're beyond teaching!" Says Heitman.

Yusei has been listening this whole time, and, to put it mildly, disagrees with every part of it. "I don't know what's going on, but I think the way you're talking about dueling is kinda messed up." Yusei says.

"My sincere apologies! I didn't know you were on the Duel Academy faculty! Oh, wait, you're not! So, I don't care what you think! Now, scuttle along and repair whatever it is you came here to repair!" Says Heitman, sarcastically.

"I was asked to fix something called the 'Rudolph Heitman', d'you know where that is?" Yusei asks.

"Wha? The 'Rudolph Heitman'?"

"Yeah. Apparently, it has a few screws loose or something." Says Yusei.

"I've got news for you! You are currently conversing with the Rudolph Heitman!"

Yusei seems sincerely taken aback. If he knew or guessed beforehand that the Rudolph Heitman he was being sent to fix was a person, he's bluffing excellently. "You?" Yusei asks.

"Heitman's the Vice-Chancellor." Says Luna. "And he's planning on expelling our entire class from the Academy!" Leo says. "He thinks we're not good enough to be here!" Says the blonde girl. "He isn't giving us a chance!" Bob says.

Yusei starts to smile. "Hmph. Okay. I think I get it now. I was sent here to fix something, and that's what I'm gonna do. Hey, Heitman, ya wanna duel? If I win then this entire class gets to stay at Duel Academy." Says Yusei.

"And if you lose, then these peons will spend the rest of the semester shopping around for an institution willing to accept them! See you at the Battle Dome in ten!" Heitman says.

In a lobby somewhere in the building, probably right outside the Battle Dome. "So, the future of the class is in Yusei's hands. Do you think he can handle the Vice-Chancellor?" Asks Miss Bartlett. Akiza turns from looking out at the surrounding greenery through the glass wall. "Well, um, he once saved the entire city from total destruction. So yeah, I think he can handle Heitman." Akiza says. "Oh..." Says Miss Bartlett.

Across the room, the kids are gathered around Yusei, who's kneeling to look into their faces. "Thanks for doing this, Yusei." Luna says. "Teach that Vice-Chancellor of ours a lesson!" Says Leo. "I'll do my best. But before I go in there, there's something I need from you guys." Yusei says. "What can we do?" Asks all the kids.

Yusei and Heitman face off in the Battle Dome.

"Hehehehuhuhuhuh! You're about to experience the overwhelming magnitude of my vanguard deck!" Heitman says. He slots his deck.

Akiza, Miss Bartlett, and the students are watching anxiously from the stands above the floor, anxiously.

"Let's duel! Game on!" Says both Yusei and Heitman.

"Save our class, Yusei!" Bob says. "We're rooting for you!" Says the blonde girl.

"I hope ya studied! For my first move, I'm summoning Flamvell Guard in defense mode!" Yusei says. Famevell Guard has 2000 defense points.

"All right! Flamvell Guard, you rock!" Says Bob.

Yusei places two face downs. "That's it for this turn. Let's see what you've got." Yusei says.

"'Let's see what I've got'? You open up by summoning a pathetic little tuner monster to the field, and you wanna see what I've got? Well, since you asked, I'll show you!" Says Heitman. He draws. "Hehehehehahaha!" Heitman laughs. He just drew Ancient Gear Golem, which he adds to his hand, it already contains two more Ancient Gear Golems, plus 'Machine Duplication', 'Level Thunder', and Ancient Gear Statue. "Oh, sweet, sweet fortuity! I summon, Ancient Gear Statue to the field!" Heitman says. Ancient Gear Statue has 500 attack points, 800 defense points, is a level 2 monster and is an earth type monster. "And now, with the help of Ancient Gear Statue, I shall teach you a very rudimentary lesson that you seem to have never learned." Says Heitman.

Ancient Gear Statue is an earth-attribute machine-type monster, with five hundred attack points and eight hundred defense points.

"This doesn't sound too good!" Leo, Luna and Dexter all say.

"Well, you can traipse about emanating all the fighting spirit your itsy-bitsy heart can muster, but when all is said and done, send a weak monster to do a real monster's job and you'll always lose! To amply demonstrate the truth behind this simple maxim, I shall now activate the 'Machine Duplication' spell. With this spell, I can summon as many weak machine-type monsters as I want, and I just happen to be holding two more Ancient Gear Statues in my hand!" Says Heitman. Continuity blip, but nevertheless they appear on the field. Now he has three.

"Something tells me he's not stopping there!" Leo says.

"I'm not stopping there! For you see, for every Ancient Gear Statue I discharge from the field, I can summon in its place, how can I say this? A monster with a little more 'oomph!' Mmhmhmheh." Says Heitman.

The students gasp.

"Like what?" Yusei asks.

Heitman's side of the field is glowing bright turquoise. Three hulking metallic giants take the field. Ancient Gear Golem has 3000 attack points and is a level 8 monster.

"Who-o-oah! Those things are gigantic! What are they?" Asks Bob. "Ancient Gear Golem." Akiza says. "I never even heard of that monster!" Says Luna. "I've read about it before in books, but I'm talkin' about books written by masters from, like, years and years ago! And even they had never seen one!" Dexter says. "So, if these are such rare and legendary cards, how does the Vice-Chancellor have them?" Asks Leo.

"Tenure has its privileges! This card has been passed down over the years to only the elite-est of the elite here at Duel Academy! This is power, students! There's nothing wrong with having weak monsters in your deck, but if that's all you have, if that's all you know how to use, then… ehehehehuhuh! Well! That's precisely why you're being expelled from Duel Academy! Because you're not real duelists!" Heitman says.

"Newsflash, pal, having powerful monsters doesn't guarantee you a win! A real duelist would know that." Says Yusei.

"Ha! Maybe not, but not having them guarantees you certain defeat! To illustrate my point, I will now commence a full frontal assault. Brace yourself, Yusei." Heitman says.

"I'll brace myself, all right, by activating my trap card! 'Tuner's Barrier'! This forms a protective shield around my tuner monster, now you can't damage it!" Says Yusei.

"Ha! Cute try, but it won't do you any good! For when Ancient Gear Golem battles a monster in defense mode, you still take the difference as damage! Allow me to demonstrate, Ancient Gear Golem number one, attack Flamvell Guard!" Heitman says.

Ancient Gear Golem punches right at Yusei's barrier. Yusei's lifepoints decrease to 3000.

"And then, number two follows up with a smashing attack of its own!" Says Heitman.

Yusei growls, with effort, weathering the second attack, now his lifepoints stand at 2000.

"Now poor number three is feeling left out! I can't have that! Go forth, number three! Smash away!" Heitman says.

Yusei's lifepoints fall again to 1000. He looks a bit winded, but still standing strong.

"He lost three thousand lifepoints." Says Akiza. "Come on, Yusei!" Luna, Leo and Dexter all say.

"And now, to complete my lesson, I'm activating the 'Level Thunder' spell card. This spell slams you with damage equal to the total level of my monsters multiplied by one hundred!" Says Heitman.

 _"Each Ancient Gear Golem is a level-eight._ _S_ _o, the total is, twenty four. Guess we're getting expelled after all!"_ Sly thinks to himself. He sighs. "I hope he has something in place for this." Akiza says. "If he doesn't, this is over, right?!" Asks Luna. "Huh?!" Leo asks. "Come on, Yusei! Don't let him win!" Says Miss Bartlett.

"Ha! Combos like this are why you can't fiddle around with puny little monsters! You have to be strong to survive!" Heitman says.

"Look out, Yusei!" Says both Luna and Leo. "This could be it!" Akiza says.

Yusei faces down the attack, calmly.

"Yusei, you're about to be dismissed." Says Heitman.

"Incoming!" Both Leo and Luna say.

"Not so fast! By discarding Haniwata from my hand, I can protect myself!" Says Yusei. He discards a monster that looks like a cute little puffball, and a ghost of it shields him from the worst of the blast.

"There we go, I knew it wasn't over yet!" The blonde girl says.

"So, you held on with the help of another feeble monster. You're quite persistent, Yusei. You have the tenacity of a cockroach. But, I step on cockroaches!" Says Heitman.

"It's good he held out an' all, but the way things are going!" Dexter says. "I know." Says Luna.

Yusei turns to the spectators, with a smile. "Don't worry, guys. I've got a coupla lessons of my own." Yusei says. He turns back to the duel. "You've made your case, Heitman! But, I'm not buyin' it! And now, it's my turn to teach you a lesson!" Says Yusei.

"Ha! With what? You got three Golems towering over you, and the only thing standing in their way is one lowly little tuner monster. Oh!" Heitman says. He chortles. "Ohh, I get it, is this a lesson on losing gracefully?" Asks Heitman.

Yusei draws. "I'm afraid not!" Yusei says. He glances at his draw, then plays the spell. "I'm activating, 'Cards of Consonance'! By sending one tuner monster from my hand to the graveyard, I can use this spell to draw two more cards from my deck!" Says Yusei.

"I was unaware that tuners could be used in such a manner!" Heitman says.

Yusei's cards are Eccentric Boy and Turret Warrior. Yusei turns to Heitman, with a smile that clearly says that he's going down. "Bad news, Heitman." Says Yusei.

"What?!" Heitman asks.

"I summon, Eccentric Boy!" Says Yusei. Eccentric Boy has 800 attack points and is a level 3 monster. "And when I use it to synchro-summon, I can choose the other monster I need directly from my hand! And I choose, Turret Warrior!" Yusei says. Turret Warrior has 1200 attack points, 2000 defense points, is a level 5 monster and is an earth type monster. "Now, Eccentric Boy! Give Turret Warrior a tune-up!" Says Yusei.

"What in the what?! You can tune a monster that's not even present on the field?!" Heitman asks.

High above, Turret Warrior is being tuned. Three stars plus five equals eight stars. "Of course! I would think a real duelist would know that! I synchro-summon, Stardust Dragon!" Says Yusei. Stardust takes the field, hovering above his head. Wind is spiraling out from beneath its wings, and the Ancient Gear Golems no longer look so impressive.

"Aw yeah!" Dexter says. "This is the greatest day of my life!" Says Bob. "That dragon is awesome!" The blonde girl says. "Yeah, but the Ancient Gear Golems have more attack points. If there's not more to his strategy, Yusei's out in the next move!" Says Akiza. _"Hmph. I knew he wasn't all that."_ Sly thinks to himself.

"Yusei, if they could, my Ancient Gear Golems would laugh at your sad, infinitesimal dragon. That lizard's no match for their might!" Heitman says.

"Wrong again, Heitman!" Says Yusei.

"What?!" Asks Heitman.

"You're right that head-to-head Stardust Dragon couldn't destroy one of your Ancient Gear Golems! So, it's a good thing for me there's a lot more to dueling than straight-up battles! From my hand, I play the 'Variety Comes Out' spell card! By returning Stardust Dragon to my deck, I can summon as many tuner monsters from my graveyard as I want, as long as their combined levels equal Stardust Dragon's!" Yusei says.

"Wait, what?" Asks Heitman.

"I resurrect, Eccentric Boy, Haniwata, and Debris Dragon!" Yusei says. Eccentric Boy has 800 attack points and is a level 3 monster. Haniwata has 200 attack points and is a level 1 monster. Debris Dragon has 1000 attack points and is a level 4 monster.

"Absurd! You're doing this all backwards, Yusei. You're supposed to employ your lowly little peon monsters to pave the way toward a high level summon. You don't summon a monster like Stardust Dragon and then..." Says Heitman. He makes a huge gasp.

Flashback. Arrayed on Yusei's field are the same cards he scrolled through in his roster in the classroom earlier, each of the students' favorites. "Those're... I know those monsters!" Heitman says, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

"That's right! These monsters that are about to take you down! They belong to the class you want to expel! They're the monsters you called worthless!" Says Yusei.

Flashback. Miss Bartlett and Akiza watch over their shoulders from across the room, as the students crowd around Yusei. The little blonde girl hands him her Haniwata card. "Here." The blonde girl says. The students turn and look at Sly, who's off at a distance being cool by himself. "Come on, Sly! Give him one of your cards, too!" Says Luna.

"Nngh." Sly says. He walks over and hands Yusei his Eccentric Boy card, reluctantly. "Thanks, you guys. With all the cards that you're lending me, there's no way I can lose!" Says Yusei. "Do your best, Yusei!" The blonde girl says. "Good luck!" Says Leo. The flashback ends.

Heitman shudders, annoyed to the point of revulsion. "Nnnggh! I don't care how many cards you have, weakness is still weakness! And those weak monsters cannot take on my powerful Golems!" Heitman says.

"Which is why they won't be taking on your Golems. I activate the 'Tuner's Explosion' trap. By destroying the same amount of monsters on my field as you have on your field, I can destroy your monsters at the same time!" Says Yusei.

"Wha-a-a-a-a-impossible!" Heitman says.

Flamvell Guard, Haniwata and Eccentric Boy take to the sky, each shooting for one of the Gear Golems. One by one they crash right into the chests of the Golems, bringing them down in flames.

"Aa-aa-aagh! Inconceivable! All three Golems crashing down at the same time?! It's unfathomable!" Says Heitman.

"And now, for every monster just destroyed, you take a thousand points of damage!" Yusei says.

Heitman's lifepoints drop to 1000, he wails. "Aaaauuuhh!"

"And since Debris Dragon is still hangin' around on the field, it goes in for a direct attack!" Says Yusei.

"Whuuuu-aaaauuugggghhh!" Huge explosion. As the smoke clears, Heitman stumbles backward and falls on his rear, his lifepoints falling down the rest of the way to zero.

"All right!" Leo, Luna and Dexter all say. "He did it, I knew he could!" Says Bob. "And he did it with our monsters, guys! Our monsters defeated the Vice-Chancellor!" The blonde girl says. The spectators get out of their chairs and start running for the way down to the arena floor.

"Impossible! How could I falter with my vanguard deck? Never could I have ever conceived that such low-level monsters could have so much potential!" Says Heitman.

Yusei is walking across the field to approach him. "Don't you get it? That's why you lost, Heitman. 'Cause you underestimated my monsters. Just like you underestimate this entire class! They may not've mastered the higher-ups yet, but they believe in their cards and they believe in themselves!" Yusei says.

"And that's what dueling's all about!"

Yusei turns.

The man in the suit, who asked him to come to Duel Academy to repair something, is standing in the doorway. He walks toward them. "You again?" Asks Yusei. "If I could've demonstrated that myself, I would've, but I'm just an administrator. "Uh, Chancellor!" Heitman says. "Chancellor?" Asks Yusei. "That's right. Personally, I wanted to fire Heitman, but, one of our biggest donors just happens to be his mother, who he still lives with." The Chancellor says. "If you were teetering on the verge of firing me, Sir. Why didn't you just come to me and say something?" Asks Heitman. "I tried, but as usual, you didn't listen." The Chancellor says. Heitman sighs, gustily. "I understand. It seems I've been an impudent blockhead." Says Heitman.

The students run through another door into the arena and over to Yusei, the twins run right up and hug him. "I-I'm still the one in charge of expulsions." Heitman says. All the kids stop cheering, is he really about to expel them anyway?! "And I'm revoking all of yours." Says Heitman. The kids cheer, going back to raving about how amazing Yusei was.

Sly's standing off to the side looking cool.

"Duel Academy gives you thanks, Yusei." The Chancellor says.

He soon walks over to a doorway. Zora is watching the whole scene, unobserved. "Well, it seems your friend Martha was right about that young man. He is special." Says the Chancellor. "Yes. I would've offered you his older half-twin sister to help, but as much as she tends to play it out, she's still in a lot of pain from her still healing injuries that she sustained. But, he was the next best choice. Now, if only I could get 'im to keep the noise down. I'm just glad he was able to help you out." Zora says. The two of them turn and watch Yusei and the kids.

All the kids are babbling, but Sly, while having joined them, is still hanging toward the back, silent. Yusei notices. "Hey, Sly. Thanks a bunch, I couldn't've done it without your Eccentric Boy card." Says Yusei. "Whatev." Sly says. He swipes it back, coolly.

Yusei walks away, with Leo, Luna, Dexter, Bob and the blonde girl all crowding around him, laughing and cheering. "I'm gonna tell everybody about this day!" Says Bob.

Sly whips around and watches them go. _"I want it! I want his Stardust Dragon! And I'll do anything to get it!"_ Sly thinks to himself.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4: Trash Talk_

On a bright, sunny day. Yusei, Jack, Skylara and Crow are riding their runners down a sharp, freshly-paved highway lined with tall buildings.

"What happened to this place? I mean, look at this! Cleaner streets, nice buildings." Crow says.

"Hah! The Satellite we all grew up in is gone, that's for sure!" Says Yusei.

"Whadda you lads and lady say to a high-speed race through the streets for old times' sake." Jack says.

"You are on!" Says Skylara.

They race onward through the revamped Satellite, you can't even tell how run-down it used to look.

At the side door of one of the new buildings, a few old people in wheelchairs are milling around. At the front, Skylara, Yusei, Jack and Crow pull up, three of the little kids Crow used to take care of in the old Satellite are waiting for them. "What's up, little runts!" Crow says. "Crow! Yusei!" "Long time, no see!" "Jack, will you duel me later today?"

Martha and Blister join them from the front door. "Well, look who's decided to return to their old stomping grounds. Good to see ya guys." Says Blister. Skylara pulls off her helmet. "Did you set up shop full-time here, Blister?" Skylara asks. "You've tasted Martha's cooking, how could I walk away from that?" Asks Blister. "Have you nerds been behaving?" Crow asks, addressing the little kids. "And practicing every day." "And we help Martha take care of all the old people!" "They causin' ya any trouble, Martha?" Asks Crow. "Nothin' like the trouble you caused me when you were their age." Martha says. Crow and the little kids laugh. "Now go look around, you four, and meet us back in the house." Says Martha.

Sometime later, at Martha's house in the park, which doesn't seem to have changed much aside from perhaps some paint. "So, what did he say?" Martha asks. "Nothing. He just launched a trash can lid at me." Says Dr. Schmidt.

Yusei, Skylara, Jack and Crow stroll into the dining room, where him and Martha are sitting at the table, and the nestlings from earlier, plus two more of their number, are standing around. "That sounds painful." Crow says. "Oh, hey, you four." Says Martha. "Maybe you can help us out, Crow." "With what?" Crow asks. "Mr. Bashford. An elderly fellow who lives by himself out in the Grogen District. We've been worried about him and wanted to offer him the chance to relocate and live here at Martha's place." Says Dr. Schmidt. "But he's a little hardheaded, and he won't even listen to what we have to say!" Martha says. "You should go and convince 'im to move here, Crow." "Wait, what? Why me? Old people make me kinda nervous." Says Crow. "Hear that, you guys, Crow's not up for the challenge." "Say what?!" Crow asks. "Yeah, he can't pull it off!" "He's not clever enough!" "Oh, yes I am! You just set an extra plate tonight, 'cause this old fossil's gonna be livin' here by sundown!" Says Crow. "Wait a minute, Crow." Jack says. "I'm on this like pop on corn!" Says Crow. He walks around the table to Dr. Schmidt. "So talk to me, where do I find this old crock pot?" Crow asks.

The nestlings huddle in, giggling amongst themselves. "Heh! He has no idea what he's getting into!" "Should we go ahead and call the ambulance now?"

In a plain, dark room. An old man stands there, wearily. "I miss the old times, son..." As he stares at the desk, despondently, a vision of a young man appears sitting in the chair. He swivels it around and speaks, holding up a dueling deck. "Hey there, Dad. Still too busy to duel me?" The vision vanishes, as the old man reaches for the chair, imploringly. "No...! Adam, I'm not...!" His arms drop to his sides, he knows that it's only a dream, no matter how much he wishes it were real. He looks at a picture frame sitting on a shelf nearby. It contains a family of three. "Not anymore..." Bashford reaches out to pick up the picture frame. Just then, an alarm sounds. "Trespassers!" The picture contains Bashford back when his gray hair was black, redheaded Adam maybe three or four years younger than the vision, and a woman in a long white gown, who must be Adam's mother. All three are standing against a background of verdant trees.

Outside. Yusei, Jack, Skylara, Blister and Crow are standing before the gap in the fence before the house. It's old, a fortress that has endured through the seventeen years of the Satellite and probably before that, and is surrounded by piles of trash almost as tall as itself. Seeing it, they may start to believe for the first time that they are back in the run-down, trash-filled, half-destroyed Satellite of six months ago. "Somebody lives here?! It's a mountain a' junk!" Says Crow. "It's more like a mountain range of junk." Yusei says. "Are you certain this is the right place?" Asks Jack. From the look on Blister's face, he's holding his breath for something bad to happen. "This is it." Blister says. "Okay, guys, I'm on it." Says Crow. He starts forward. Crow then stops and covers his ears when an old man's voice blasts over a megaphone.

"That's close enough, punk!" Bashford is standing in the top window of his fortress, holding the megaphone.

"And that is Mr. Bashford." Blister says, wearily. "What's up, you oldtimer! You wanna ditch this trash heap and come live at Martha's place?" Asks Crow, calling out to him. "Well done, Crow. Nice and direct." Skylara says. It's hard to tell if she's being sarcastic or not.

"This trash heap is my home!"

"And you're all alone, what if you fall down and can't get up?" Asks Crow, calling out to him.

"The only way I'm leaving's if you drag me out!"

"Well, you heard 'im. Guess I gotta infiltrate the fortress." Crow says. He runs forward toward the house.

"He's gonna regret that." Says Blister.

"Aaaaahhhh!" Crow runs toward the house. "You're comin' with me, old man! Aaaahhh!" Crow says.

"I'm not going anywhere, but I can't say the same for you!" Bashford yanks one of the ropes next to him.

From one of the trash heaps pops out a real-life Scrap-Iron Scarecrow, which pops up and bounces Crow backward. Crow flies backward and lands with his head in a trash pile across the front walk. Crow surfaces from the trash and shakes it off. "Ahhhh! Ah! This means war, oldtimer!" Says Crow. He runs for the house again.

"Keep comin', squirt!" Bashford pulls another handle.

A trap door opens up ahead of Crow. Crow leaps, and it looks like he's going to clear it beautifully. "Ahahahaha!"

Then Bashford pulls a second lever.

A second trap door opens exactly where Crow is about to land. Crow flails in midair and then drops, like a cartoon coyote. "Whaaa! Mommy!" Crow says, squeaking.

They hear him hit the bottom, with a loud thud. Blister, Yusei and Skylara are tense. "Okay, now this is my idea of a good time. We should do stuff like this more often." Says Jack.

Crow climbs out of the pit. "Crafty use of a double trap, grandpa. Thing is, ugh." Crow says. He stands up. "I do not give up easily." Says Crow. He strides forward, one step at a time, resolutely. Crow doesn't notice when he steps onto a metal plate.

Bashford reaches for his fourth and final trigger rope. "Thank you for flying 'Air Bashford.'" He yanks it.

Crow then gets propelled off the spring-platform he just stepped onto, comically, high into the air, and careens far into the mountain range of trash.

"I give that dive an eight-point-three." Skylara says.

Crow gets up, rubbing his head, and finds himself nose-to-nose with a full-sized Two-Headed King Rex. "Aaagh! Huh? Whoa!" Says Crow. He then edges backward. "E-e-e-asy, big fella." Crow says. The dinosaur advances on him, who keeps scooting backward, then abruptly disintegrates.

Crow looks around, confused, and then gets up to his feet. Crow's standing on a large concrete stage, with two old-fashioned podia at either end. Duel technology of this style is extremely rare since the invention of the duel disk itself. "This is a duel arena! So, that was a hologram just now!" Says Crow.

Skylara, Jack, Yusei and Blister run over to find him. "Hey, Crow!" Yusei says. "That was a doozy." Says Blister. "Are you alright?" Skylara asks.

"I'm good, but forget me, look at this! It's a duel arena! Like a real one!" Says Crow.

"Look at those supporting rods, they're made of tire rims." Jack says. "Yeah, I'm thinkin' this is a home-made job." Says Yusei.

"Hey!"

Everyone turns to look.

Bashford has abandoned his fortress and runs up beside Skylara, Jack, Yusei and Blister. "No one's allowed up there, get down!"

"Easy there, grandpa. I'm only up here 'cause you flung me up here with your little booby trap." Crow says.

"I don't care how ya got up there, just get down!"

"I gotta better idea, why don't you get on up here and duel me, century-man?" Asks Crow.

"What did you say?"

"If I lose, I will quietly leave. But if I win, you have to come an' check out what life is like at Martha's place!" Crow says.

Bashford just stands there and scowls.

"Come on, ya have this incredible arena just standing here! Ya gotta duel me, grandpa! I've always wanted to throw down in a real duel arena like this one!" Says Crow.

Bashford is a bit taken aback. "Ah. You, uh, you really like my duel arena, do ya now?"

"Yeah! Of course I like it, what's not to like?!" Crow asks.

Bashford scowls, ready to issue a challenge. "Well then, let's see how ya like losing on it!" Jack leans in closer to Skylara. "Are they serious about this?" Asks Jack, aside to Skylara. "You and Yusei have dueled for sillier reasons." Skylara says, aside to Jack.

The far dueling podium rises into place.

Crow is standing atop it.

While Bashford takes the opposite one.

Small pillars at each corner of the cement block are probably holographic projectors. The lines of the dueling field light up.

"Let's duel!" Says both Crow and Bashford. They each start with 4000 lifepoints.

Bashford draws. "Seniority first! I draw! I summon Maternal Junk in defense mode." Bashford says. Maternal Junk has 300 attack points, 1500 defense points, is a level 3 monster and is an earth type monster. "All right, you whippersnapper! Show me what you're made of!" Says Bashford. He places a card face down.

"Don't worry, I'm plannin' on it. I'm not goin' easy on ya just 'cause you're old! I draw!" Crow says. His draw is Vayu. "I summon, Blackwing-Vayu!" Says Crow. Blackwing-Vayu the Emblem of Honor has 800 attack points, 0 defense points, is a level 1 monster and is a dark type monster. "And since birds of a feather flock together, I can summon another Blackwing from my hand to join Vayu on the field. Say hello to Bora the Spear!" Crow says. Blackwing-Bora the Spear has 1700 attack points, is a level 4 monster and is an earth type monster. "When this Blackwing attacks a monster in defense mode, and it's rockin' more attack points than your monster has defense points, it slams you with the difference! Duck n' cover, y' old fogie! 'Cause Bora's attacking, with Spiraling Spear!" Says Crow.

"I activate a trap, 'Scrap-Iron Scarecrow'!" Bashford says.

Scarecrow gets between Maternal Junk and Crow's Bora, stopping the attack. Bora's spear grates against Scarecrow's iron bars.

"Nice." Says Jack. "Looks like Bashford's using a junk deck like mine!" Yusei says.

"After 'Scrap-Iron Scarecrow' scraps your monster's attack, I can once again place it face down on my field. So there!" Says Bashford.

"Heh! I'm thinkin' I might've underestimated you, gramps!" Crow says.

 _"And by underestimating me, you've walked head-first into a certain defeat!"_ Bashford thinks to himself.

The duel rages onward. Both duelists still have 4000 lifepoints.

"It's my turn. I draw!" Says Bashford. He draws his card, then looks down at the field.

For a moment, the duel's holograms vanish, and he sees, standing in the center of the field facing away from him... "Adam? Is that you?" Bashford asks.

"Wow! This is incredible!" Says Adam. He looks up at Bashford over his shoulder. "It's like a real duel arena, Dad!" Adam says.

"Built it just for you. Let's break it in with a little father-son duel! Hahahahaha!" Says Bashford.

"I can't, right now. I gotta go." Adam says.

"But!" Says Bashford.

Adam's voice echoes. The vision is ending. Bashford raises an arm, imploringly, as Adam fades.

The duel reappears. Bashford is looking down at the center of the field, bereft.

"Hey, grandpa! Something wrong?" Crow asks.

"It's nothing, just, just... never you mind!" Says Bashford.

"Okay, okay, so make a move already!" Crow says.

Bashford looks at his hand, which contains 'Junk Factory', Paternal Junk, 'Scrap-Iron Barricade', 'Scrap-Iron Pitfall' and 'Junk Spirit'. "I summon Paternal Junk in attack mode!" Says Bashford. Paternal Junk has 1600 attack points and is a level 4 monster. "And, when Maternal Junk is on my field, Paternal Junk gains an additional five hundred attack points! And now from my hand, I activate the 'Junk Factory' field spell." Bashford says.

"What's this about?" Asks Crow.

"It's about winning, sonny-boy! And don't you forget it!" Bashford says.

The duel experiences a radical change of scenery, the arena is now surrounded on all sides by the rusty, grimy walls of a run-down factory.

Skylara, Jack, Yusei and Blister look around, all four are now standing on a railed platform above and to one side of the duel. These holograms are not up to our usual standard, they can still see the mountain range of junk through the semi-translucent walls.

"See, here in the 'Junk Factory', every junk monster on the field gains five hundred attack points." Says Bashford. Paternal Junk, with both boosts, now has 2600 attack points.

"Pretty good, old dude! Ya nearly doubled that monster's power without having to sacrifice anything!" Crow says.

"Bashford's got a good pair, and if he summons what I think he'll summon, he'll have a full house!" Says Jack. "What does that mean, 'he'll have a full house'? Are you saying Crow's done-for?" Blister asks. "No, I'm pretty sure Crow has a few feathers up his sleeve." Says Skylara.

"Let's battle! Go, Paternal Junk, attack!" Bashford says. Paternal Junk destroys Vayu.

Crow's lifepoints fall to 2200. "Rrrghh! You just helped me out, ya goofy geezer! Because Blackwing-Vayu the Emblem of Honor only has the power to synchro-summon from the graveyard! My comeback'll be starting right now!" Says Crow.

"It's hard to make a comeback in the 'Junk Factory', sonny." Bashford says.

"Whaddaya mean?" Asks Crow.

"In the 'Junk Factory', when one a' my junk monsters destroys one a' your monsters, I can snag it from your graveyard and send it packin' back to your deck!" Bashford says.

"A-a-a-a-a-a-agh! Oh, man!" Says Crow. He shuffles Vayu back into his deck. "Not bad. I gotta hand it to ya, ya old dog, you still know a lot a' tricks." Crow says.

"Huh! Well, for my next trick, I place three cards face down and end my turn." Says Bashford.

"Why won't he summon it?!" Jack asks. "Summon what?" Asks Blister.

"It's my move!" Crow says. He drew 'Black-Winged Strafe'. "I activate the 'Black-Winged Strafe' spell card, which wipes out one of your monsters in defense mode by sending a Blackwing from my hand to my graveyard! Let's say goodbye to my Shura the Blue Flame, and then say goodbye to your Maternal Junk!" Says Crow.

"Not so fast! Go, 'Scrap-Iron Barricade'! During this turn, you can't destroy the monster protected by this barricade with card effects!" Bashford says.

"Rrrgh!" Crow growls under his breath.

"And just like 'Scrap-Iron Scarecrow', after being activated, 'Scrap-Iron Barricade' can return to its face down position on the field." Says Bashford.

"Hhggh! Pretty good, oldtimer, but let's see how you handle Blackwing-Blizzard the Far North!" Crow says. Blackwing-Blizzard the Far North has 1300 attack points, 0 defense points, is a level 2 monster and is a dark type monster. "When Blizzard the Far North is successfully summoned, I can then special-summon one level-four-or-below Blackwing from my graveyard to come an' join 'im on the field. So I special-summon, Blackwing-Shura the Blue Flame in defense mode!" Says Crow.

"Hmph! Then I'll just activate another trap, 'Scrap-Iron Pitfall'!" Bashford says.

"Huh?! You gotta be kidding me!" Says Crow.

"Afraid not, sparky. When you use a special-summoning to bring a monster to the field, it falls right into my 'Scrap-Iron Pitfall', and returns to your hand." Bashford says.

"Oh, man!" Says Crow.

"And now, just like my other traps, this card returns to its face down position." Bashford says.

Crow seethes, with frustration. _"This wacky oldtimer sets up his field like he sets up his house, surrounded by junk traps! If I can't figure out a way through, I don't have a chance."_ Crow thinks to himself.

"The old man's starting to rattle our easily-rattled friend." Says Jack. "Crow just needs to find a way around all those traps." Yusei says.

"From my hand, I activate the 'Cards for Black Feathers' spell, which gives me the power to draw two new cards from my deck in exchange for sending a Blackwing from my hand to the graveyard! So by shipping off my Shura the Blue Flame, I can draw!" Says Crow. His two cards are Gale the Whirlwind and 'Black Thunder'. "Hmph! When there's another Blackwing on my field, I can summon Gale the Whirlwind from my hand in attack mode!" Crow says. Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind has 1300 attack points and is a level 3 monster. "Now I activate Whirlwind's special ability! This Blackwing can halve one of your monsters' attack and defense points!" Says Crow. Gale decreases Paternal Junk's stats. "With that done, now Bora the Spear can attack Paternal Junk!" Crow says.

"I activate my trap, 'Scrap-Iron Scarecrow'!" Says Bashford.

 _"I was afraid you'd do that."_ Crow thinks to himself. Once again, 'Scrap-Iron Scarecrow' stops Blackwing short of attacking anything.

"You're never gettin' to me, sonny-boy." Bashford says.

"Heh, never say never, ya old jibber-jabber! 'Cause ya never know. Gale the Whirlwind, recycle that Paternal Junk!" Says Crow.

"Crow realizes that Blackwing and Paternal Junk both have thirteen-hundred attack points, doesn't he? Does he wanna destroy the both of 'em?" Blister asks.

"Before attacking, I activate the Moon Shadow's special ability from my hand." Says Crow. Blackwing-Kalut the Moon Shadow has 1400 attack points, 1000 defense points, is a level 3 monster and is a dark type monster. "By sending this card to the graveyard, I can increase Gale the Whirlwind's attack points by fourteen-hundred!" Crow says. Gale's new total is 2700.

"Ah, so he's not crazy!" Says Blister.

"Gale the Whirlwind, attack!" Crow says.

Gale destroys Paternal Junk, and Bashford's lifepoints drop to 2600.

The arena shudders. Beyond the holograms, the mountains of junk are shifting ominously.

"How d'ya like that! Never count me out!" Says Crow.

"Let's see if you're still doin' your little happy dance after I activate my trap card!" Bashford says.

"What?! You've got another one?" Asks Crow.

"With the trap 'Junk Spirit' in play, when a junk monster is destroyed in battle and sent to my graveyard, I can re-summon that monster during the end phase! How do you like that?!" Bashford asks.

"No way! I place one card face down and end my turn!" Says Crow.

"And now, Paternal Junk returns to the field. And once again, because of Maternal Junk and Paternal Junk's special abilities, Paternal Junk gains a thousand attack points." Bashford says.

"Ah, great. So we're back to where we were." Says Crow.

"Alright, now I'm confused. What is the old guy waiting for?" Skylara asks. "I know. He seems into that 'family structure' tactic, so why hasn't he completed it yet?" Says Jack. "So you're saying, if Paternal Junk's the father and Maternal Junk's the mother, then that means that there's a third card missing from that family!" Blister says. "Yup. Kid Junk. If he'd summon it to the field, Paternal Junk would gain another thousand attack points in order to protect the kid from any harm." Says Yusei. "Gotcha. And if that happened, the old man would have this in the bag, is that it?" Blister asks. "Well if that was part of his plan, he would've done it already. With Paternal Junk and Maternal Junk both on the field, gramps could've used their abilities to summon Kid Junk straight from his hand." Says Jack. "So, why wouldn't that be part of the old man's plan?" Blister asks. "Who knows." Says Jack. Skylara gasps, sudden inspiration. Skylara turns to walk away from the duel.

"What's goin' on, Skylara? Where ya off to?" Blister asks.

"I'm going to go and poke around in the old man's house. I have a hunch about something." Says Skylara.

"What kinda hunch?" Blister asks.

"Let's just say that if it turns out I'm right, then Crow has nothing to worry about." Says Skylara.

"What's she talking about? What's her hunch?!" Blister asks.

"My turn, sonny! I draw! I activate the 'Junk Barrage' spell card!" Says Bashford.

When the monster equipped with the spell card 'Junk Barrage' destroys a monster, you deal damage equal to half the destroyed monster's attack points.

"And I equip it onto Paternal Junk. And with that boost, now Paternal Junk, attack Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind!" Bashford says.

Crow's down to 900 lifepoints now.

Behind the holograms of the 'Junk Factory' walls, more mountains of trash are crumbling in on themselves.

"Looks like that bird-brain of a monster you have is about to be destroyed and your lifepoints are about to fly the coop, Crow! It's over!" Says Bashford.

"Aaaaahhh!"

"Get ready for a thrashin', scooter!" Bashford says.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggghhhhh!" Crow's lifepoints are now a mere 250, he gasps for breath, winded. "This funny old guy's not so funny anymore!" Says Crow.

The trash piles are moving again, the ground shakes.

"Whoa, what is that?!" Jack asks. "Feels like the commotion from the duel's gonna bring these mountains of junk crashing down on us! Crow, stop the duel! We gotta get outta here!" Says Blister.

"Huh? You heard 'im, gramps, let's go!" Crow says.

"What's a matter, sonny-boy? You're not scared a' losin' to me, are ya?" Asks Bashford.

"Okay, if that's how it's gonna be! I'm activating the 'Black Thunder' trap card! When a Blackwing on my field is destroyed in battle, 'Black Thunder' crashes down on you for four hundred points of damage for every card on your field! And since you've got seven cards on your field, well, heh. Let's just say this might sting a little." Crow says.

Bashford's remaining 2600 lifepoints get zapped down to zero. "Aaaaaauuuuggghh!"

The trash mountains are collapsing.

Bashford's duel podium slides down toward them, somehow compromised.

"Bashford!" Says Crow. He vaults over the front of his own podium, as it also collapses, and runs across the field.

Blister, Jack and Yusei are already running from the collapsing trash, looking back over their shoulders. "Crow!" Jack says. "Hey, look out!" Says Yusei. The trash keeps caving inward.

Crow reaches the other edge of the arena and jumps from it, just as the trash caves in over him. The house collapses, undermined by the massive load of trash.

When the dust starts to settle, Jack, Yusei and Blister run toward the nearest pile. "Crow! Bashford! Where are you guys?!" Blister asks.

Crow shoves open the door to a huge, junked refrigerator, he and Bashford safely rode out the wave of trash in there. "Ah! Were ya lookin' for us?" Asks Crow.

"Oh, good, you're safe!" Blister says.

Bashford walks toward his duel arena, jerkily, now half-buried in debris, shaking, with shock and sorrow. "No...! Adam's duel arena, this can't be...!" Says Bashford. He lunges forward to run to it and Crow holds him back. "Stay back!" Crow says. "Let go a' me, squirt! I have to get into my house!" Says Bashford.

"I'm afraid, there isn't much left of it." Skylara says. She hurries across what remains of the arena floor.

"Skylara." Says Jack. "What were you doin'?" Blister asks.

Skylara brings her attention to Bashford. "I'm sorry. Your house was buried in the rubble. However, I was able to get out in time with this." Says Skylara. She hands Bashford the photograph from the bookcase. "I thought you might want it." Skylara says. "Huh, look a' that. A nice family moment." Says Crow. Bashford takes the picture frame from Skylara and looks at it, sadly. "Family? We figured you didn't have a family." Blister says. "I don't, I... well, I... I did." Says Bashford. "You didn't summon Kid Junk. I'm guessing that is because it isn't part of your deck, right?" Skylara asks. "Huh?" Asks Blister. "That's right. I used to have it, but... I... gave it to my son. I was a sculpture artist..." Bashford says.

Flashback. A much younger Bashford stands before his house, back when it and the neighborhood around it were new, a hand raised, imploringly, as he watches Adam and his mother walk away. "And I was so focused on my work, that I neglected what was really most important to me." Says Bashford, in voice-over. Adam is looking at the Kid Junk card he carries in his hand, sadly. Adam glances back over his shoulder at his dad. "When I realized how I'd been acting, I built this duel arena to try to make amends, but... it was too late." Bashford says, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "I have woken up every day since, thinking, maybe this'll be the day my son comes back home for a duel." Says Bashford. "So that's why you don't wanna leave this place, you're waiting." Blister says. "Is that right?" Asks Skylara. "Yes. I've..." Bashford says. His eyes tear up. "I-I've spent an entire lifetime waiting." Says Bashford. His tears drip down onto the glass of the picture frame. "Ya know what?" Crow asks. He makes up his mind. "Hm. You got yourself a new son, right here!" Says Crow. "Huh?" Bashford asks. "In fact, you've got four, four giant little boys! And if you want, you've got a mysterious little girl, for a daughter figure, too!" Says Crow. "He's right, I would love to hang out and learn a thing or two from you about junk decks!" Yusei says. "Yes. I, too, would like to come around and duel with you." Says Jack. "And, if you live at Martha's, you'll be surrounded by more grandkids than you can shake a cane at!" Crow says. "That sounds nice!" Says Bashford. "Well, then, what're we waiting for!" Crow says.

The new sculpture is made of old, dark steel gray metal, possibly with the kind of red glass you'd find in the center of certain models of duel disk re-cast for the highlights, it's an image of Stardust Dragon and Cynder the Black Dragon, taller than Martha's whole house, roaring to the sky, glinting in the bright sunset. The five nestlings, plus John, Mitch and Taka from Martha's brood of young kids, exclaim over it, as Bashford finishes off one of the knees at the top of a ladder. "It's like the real Stardust Dragon and Cynder the Black Dragon!" "No, it's even better!" "Hahaha! Well, I don't know if I'd go that far." Says Bashford.

Yusei, Skylara, Jack, Crow, Blister, Martha and Dr. Schmidt are standing off to the side. "It seems like he shall be happy here. You have done your good deed for the day, Crow." Skylara says. "Ya think so?" Asks Crow.

"Hey, Crow, get over here! My shoulders're killin' me! C'mere and rub 'em for me, wouldja?" Bashford asks. He starts climbing down from the ladder.

"Huh?! Why do I have to?!" Asks Crow.

"Quit whining and help a tired old man out, Crow! Don't you wanna get in your good deed for the day?" Bashford asks. "I did that!" Says Crow. Skylara nudges him, teasingly. "Go on, Crow." Skylara says. Jack has his arms wrapped around her shoulders, in sort of an embrace from behind. "You're his new son, remember?" Asks Jack.

So Crow massages Bashford's shoulders. "Oh yeah, that's the stuff, right there. Don't be weak, put some strength into it!" Bashford says. "Oh, like this?" Asks Crow, grinning. He grips Bashford's shoulders really tightly. "Nnnngh! Owowowowow!" Bashford says. "You said to put some strength into it." Says Crow. "I did not! Don't you know you're supposed to be gentle with your elders?!" Bashford asks. "I can't win with you!" Says Crow. The nestlings all laugh.

Later that night, at Martha's house. Blister's laptop screen shows an aerial map of part of New Domino City, then a big crater in the ground on the outskirts of the city. "Guys, now that the old man's happy, we need to talk." Blister says.

"Talk about what?" Asks Yusei. "Did you guys see the report about that meteor that hit outside the city?" Blister asks. "Yeah." Says Yusei. "We didn't need a news report, we heard the impact!" Crow says. "I've been picking up some weird chatter about it on the P-S-B channels." Says Blister. "What sort of chatter?" Jack asks, he has one of his arms wrapped around Skylara's waist. "Cryptic stuff. From what I can gather, it seems like it wasn't a rock that fell. I've heard a few references to 'the stone tablet'." Says Blister. "This was two weeks ago, right? That was the same time that duel bot Ghost started showing up." Skylara says. "Think there might be a connection there?" Asks Crow. "I don't know, but whatever it is that fell. It seems, the Public Security Bureau got hold of it and is keeping it very hush-hush." Blister says. "A stone tablet? A duel bot? What exactly is going on around here?" Asks Skylara. "Well, whatever it is, one thing is clear." Blister says. They all look at the image of the crater on his screen. "Someone doesn't want anyone to know." Says Blister.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5: A Duel With Interest_

Night at a multi-story apartment building on a narrow, paved alleyway somewhere in the city. Every light is on, and residents on the upper stories whisper to each other, both curious and frightened. Several other bystanders crowd around the first-story doorway. "What's going on?"

"What're you all staring at? Get lost!" This last has come from inside the first-story door.

The bystanders crowding around it draw back a step, nervously, still craning their necks. Then they duck out of the doorway, as a flat-screen monitor is thrown out the front door onto the hard pavement, unceremoniously.

The thug who threw it wears a white blazer, over a bright pink shirt. His head, hair included, is shaped like a wooden peg. "Guess it's true! T.V. is bad for ya health!" He shares a laugh with a second thug, who's in the process of rummaging through the desk behind him. Chubby guy, wears a light blue shirt and tiny, tiny sunglasses. In the center of the room, a plump, well-fed man, in a mustard-yellow suit coat, over a gray shirt and pink tie is in control. He looks down his small, bulbous nose, with a zigzag mustache and wide, thick lips at some duel cards fanned in his chubby hand, each finger of which bears a different gaudy ring. He then smiles, as a desperate-looking man, whose house this must be, approaches him, pleadingly. "Please, Don Piero! I promise to pay back the money, I just need more time!" In another corner, a woman and a young boy, probably mother and son, huddle together, staying far away from a third thug, who has been rummaging in a dresser drawer and pulls out a deck of duel cards. He has long, reddish-blond hair, roughly cut above the shoulders, and a pink button-up shirt, over a black undershirt. "Hey, look what I found here! Some duel cards!" The mother gasps, and her young son, maybe seven or so, springs up to get his cards back. "Hey, those're mine!" He runs up to the thug and reaches for the cards, the thug holds them out of reach. "Were yours!" He hands the deck to Don Piero. "Here, boss." Piero glances through the deck. "Hmm. These aren't any good. Of course then again." The boy and his mother watch, in fear, she's holding him back from taking on the thugs again. "When you owe Piero, I own you! And everything in your possession." He stuffs the deck into a pocket. Tears are streaming down the little boy's cheeks, he gasps, and then clenches his teeth, knowing better than to object.

Sunlight filters through the windows of Yusei, Skylara, Jack and Crow's makeshift garage in Zora's basement. Yusei is once again working away on the test runner. Yusei sits back to wipe away sweat, gripping a small wrench, and then looks up at the World Racing Grand Prix poster on the wall.

Yusei hears the door open, and a voice call… "Yusei?"

"Huh?" Yusei asks.

A kid, maybe nine or ten, enters the room and closes the door. "Hey there, have you got anything for me to recycle today?"

"Marco! It's good to see you again, pal. How've things been with you?" Asks Yusei.

Marco's smile looks a bit forced. "Oh, well, you know. Busy as ever. But I'm not complaining, that's the way I like it. In fact, I've got nine more stops today." Marco says.

"Then I won't keep ya. I'll get you what we have." Says Yusei. He walks elsewhere in the room to get the recycling.

Marco notices the test runner, which is looking more like a runner every time it's mentioned, though it's still without wheels, and smiles, excited and curious.

Yusei sees Marco off from the doorway. Marco is pulling a big, flat-bottomed cart for collecting people's recycling. "Thanks, Yusei! See ya!" Marco says. "Take care, Marco!" Says Yusei. He smiles and goes back inside.

As Yusei walks in and shuts the door.

Crow descends the stairs on the other side of the room, sighing wearily.

"Heya, Crow." Yusei says.

"Huh? Oh, what's up?" Asks Crow. He then gets upset. "Hey, that wasn't a bill collector at the door, was it? I swear, those guys just don't ever let up!" Crow says. He sighs and looks at the WRGP poster. "Who knew it would be so hard to make a living and train for the Grand Prix?" Asks Crow.

"Come on, we're makin' ends meet. With Skylara working on her internship, her and I working day after day off each other. And you working at your job, too." Yusei says.

"Yeah. I guess so, dude. I'm just glad Jack's finally out pullin' his weight." Says Crow.

"I think you mean throwing his weight." Yusei says.

"Uhh, throwing his weight?" Asks Crow.

Jack's sitting at an outdoor cafe table, arms folded, with annoyance. Skylara is with Jack, working on something, possibly something for her internship, she has one leg crossed over her other one. "Faster, faster, it's gonna get cold!" Jack says.

A young, redheaded waitress places his porcelain coffee cup on the table. "Sorry for the wait, Mr. Atlas!" "Ah, the sweet aroma of Blue-Eyes Roast. Nothing better!" Says Jack. He's about to sip, then notices the waitress is still standing right next to the table. When Jack notices her, she bows her head, probably to hide her blushing. "Excuse me, Mr. Atlas!" And she all but runs for cover.

Jack watches her antics, with demure confusion.

She ducks behind the corner and sighs. "Ahh, no one could love 'im like I do!"

"Jackie!"

The waitress gasps and looks back around the corner, instantly jealous.

Carly hurries up to Jack and Skylara's table, sets down her bag, and takes a seat. "Hey, Jack. Skylara. What's up?" Carly asks.

The waitress is still watching from behind the corner, jealously. "Oh! Oh right, except for maybe her!"

"Yes, Carly. Is there something we can help you with?" Asks Jack. "As a matter of fact there is, the Sailor Guardian Memorial Statues!" Carly says. "Sailor Guardian Memorial Statues?" Asks Jack. Carly opens her shoulder bag. "Don't tell me you haven't heard about them. I'm doing an exclusive story on them for the newspaper." Carly says. Jack sips his coffee and listens, looking slightly bored. Skylara then takes her attention away from what she's been working on and brings her attention towards Carly. "See, there are thirteen statues, two of the statues are special, ya make a wish, give an offering, and then your dreams come true!" Says Carly. She presents a few photographs, eagerly, getting right up next to Jack. "Look! See-e-e-e?" Carly asks.

The waitress is grinding her teeth.

The top photograph shows a tall stone or concrete shrine sitting in the middle of a tiny park. At its center is a Sailor suited girl, with an odango hair-style. It looks like a scepter is set before it. "So? Whaddaya think?" Asks Carly. "Hmph. Pure bunk." Jack says.

"Jack?!" Asks Crow, angrily. Jack, Skylara and Carly look up, he's standing over them and the cafe table, and he does not look happy. "Oh, hey there, Crow. You care to join us for some coffee?" Jack asks. Crow sits down in a chair opposite of him. "You care about making rent?" Asks Crow. Carly tries to be charming. "Uh, hiya, Crow!" Carly says. "Hi." Says Crow, flatly. Carly groans under her breath, angrily, put out by his rudeness. Jack sips his coffee, calmly. "You really need to relax, Crow. Can't I enjoy a simple cup of Blue-Eyes coffee?" Jack asks. "Blue-Eyes coffee? But." Says Crow. He spots the check sitting on the table, which reads… "Huh? That-that's thirty bucks!" Crow says. "Yes, but it makes you feel like a million." Says Jack. He sets down his cup. "By the way, I'm a little light today. D'you mind picking up the tab for this one, buddy?" Jack asks. Crow slams both fists down on the table, splashing the coffee. "Rrrgh!" Crow growls under his breath.

The waitress, still watching from behind the corner, gasps. "Aah!"

"What gives?!" Asks Carly. "You forget your wallet?" Jack asks. "No I didn't forget my wallet! I forgot what a dimwitted, thickheaded imbecile you are!" Says Crow. Jack frowns. "You're all worked up. Let me order you a coffee and we can…" Jack says, condescendingly. "No! Don't you see, that's the whole point, Jack! We can't afford coffee! We can barely afford the very basics, like food and rent! Bottom line is, you need to start earning your keep, like me, Skylara and Yusei!" Says Crow. "Don't bring me into this, Crow!" Skylara says, sounding a little menacing, as if something or someone got on her bad side. It's enough to get Jack and Crow's attention. Carly's a little put out and doesn't wish to get in the way with these three at this point. "Well, who shattered your sphinx this morning?" Asks Crow. "Yeah, you seem a little on-edged lately. Everything alright, love?" Jack asks. "I'm fine, just a lot of nightmares lately." Says Skylara. "Nightmares or premonitions?" Crow asks. "It's hard to tell at this point. I guess, a little bit of both." Says Skylara. "How long's this been going on?" Jack asks. "Ever since that object hit Earth a few weeks ago. I'm fine, just don't worry about it." Says Skylara. "If your sure of it." Crow says. "Anyway, look, I would love to, Crow. But jobs aren't my thing, I mean they're just so much work, you know?" Asks Jack. "Yeah, I know! That's why they're called work!" Crow says. "Oh, how 'bout a job as your boss?" Asks Carly. "How about no!" Crow says. Carly shrinks back, rebuffed, then sighs. Jack takes another sip of coffee.

The waitress is still hiding behind the door. "I'd hire Jack any day!"

Just then, Marco shows up at the door to the cafe. "Good morning! Here for today's recyclables!" Says Marco. "Oh, hey, Marco. It's good to see ya."

Another waiter or a manager from the cafe walks out to meet Marco, with a stack of neatly folded and bound cardboard. He hands it to Marco, with praise. "Always right on time!" "Hey, that's part a' the job, right?" Marco asks. "Here's this week's pay." "Thanks." Says Marco.

Jack, Crow, Skylara and Carly are watching the exchange from their table. "Boy, you could really learn a thing or two from Marco. That kid works odd jobs day and night to help take care of his family. The only thing you work on lately is your hair!" Crow says, addressing Jack. "Hmph. Well, it is a full-time job. Speaking of, do you have any more gel?" Asks Jack. "I know ya still think you're some kinda bigshot. The 'Master of Faster', the 'Sultan of Speed', all that guff. Well, think again! When's the last time you did anything of use!" Crow says. Carly gasps, dramatically, and looks at Jack, who's barely showing any emotion at all. Skylara seems surprised Crow would say that, as well. "Crow, aren't you making this a lot harder than it needs to be?" Asks Skylara. "Quit taking his side, Skylara." Crow says. "I'm not taking anyone's side. Besides, you are the one who brought this up." Says Skylara. "See, your doing it again. You're taking his side just like you always do." Crow says. "That is ridiculous, I support you when necessary." Says Skylara. "You just admitted it, your takin' his side on this." Crow says. "I did not!" Says Skylara. "You did to!" Crow says. "I did not!" Says Skylara. "Yes, you did!" Crow says. Skylara's eyes suddenly shift to red for a split second and he finds himself flipped over and face first on the ground. Carly's a little freaked out at the sudden turn of events, she's not used to this kind of thing. Jack's been sipping his coffee through this whole argument, this is normal for him. "Quite finished, Crow?" Asks Skylara. Crow's seeing stars right now. "I really gotta pick my battles with you." Crow says, dazed. "Shouldn't have started arguin' with her in the first place. She was gonna win the argument anyway, like she always does." Says Jack, smugly. Skylara turns her attention to him. "You want to get the same thing he got, Jack. There is plenty for you also." Skylara says, calmly, but menacingly. Jack is taken aback and seems a little intimidated. "No, not at all. Deeply sorry if I upset you in anyway, love." Says Jack. "Such a little suck-up." Crow says. "Crow, take it back, you've hurt his feelings!" Says Carly. "Sure, I'll take it back, when he proves me wrong!" Crow says. He folds his arms. "The gauntlet has been thrown, Jack! Ya think you're up to the challenge?" Asks Crow. Jack stands up. "Challenge?! You call this a challenge, mate? I'll land so many jobs your head'll spin!" Jack says. He strides away.

"Wait, Jack! Oh, boy." Says Carly. She gets up and leaves.

"Well, this should be good." Crow says. Skylara quickly glances over at him, snaps her fingers and he's lying flat on his back on the ground. Crow winces a bit. Skylara's now standing over Crow, hands on her hips. "Stop doing that." Says Crow. "Then stop being an idiot." Skylara says. She offers Crow a hand and he takes it. Skylara helps Crow back up to his feet. Crow reaches for his lower back, he's a little sore. "I don't know how much longer I can take those shadow spells of yours. I think your shortening my life every time you do that." Says Crow. "Oh your fine. A little shadow isn't going to hurt you." Skylara says. "Of course you think that way. You're the one who controls the shadows to do your bidding, you haven't been on the other side of your abilities." Says Crow. Skylara looks away from him, looking pensive and perhaps a little saddened. Crow is a little taken aback, he's not used to seeing Skylara like this. "Hey, you okay?" Crow asks, a little worried. He looks a little closer, Skylara seems very out of it. Crow grips Skylara's shoulders, gently. "Skylara, answer me. Are you okay?" Asks Crow. "Day by day the beauty of darkness… all around multiplies and blooms… into a flower of treasure by which I fill… my trove at the time when I hate to see… the daylight and love to pass my time… under spell of bitter rapture and swim… with delight when, without sound I weep… in ecstasy I recall your cold face when I see… emptiness engulfs me and nothing I get to fill my void… but this lovely darkness and your shrug silently to ruminate..." Skylara says, softly. "Skylara, snap out of it." Says Crow. He shakes her, slightly. Skylara seems to regain herself at that point. "Crow…?" Skylara asks. "Oh good, you've returned to your normal self." Says Crow. "Hm, what do you mean?" Skylara asks. "Honestly, I think you're starting to lose it. But, you seem to be okay now." Says Crow. "Did something happen?" Skylara asks. "Well no, but you started dazing off and then you were reciting poetry or something. Sounded like nonsense to me." Says Crow. "I see." Skylara says.

The dish is a complete and utter disaster. Full of hot dogs, onion rings, a strawberry, a lemon, a cherry tomato and several fried shrimp all poking out of the same dish. Jack, in a yellow apron, stands at the utterly trashed cooking counter, while four others, in yellow aprons, stand gawping. "Look, its Jack Atlas not the finest sushi chef in the land?" One of them groans, looking sick.

Jack finds himself booted out the door and walks away, undaunted. Someone calls out the door after him. "We're a pizza joint, ya nut!"

In a bookstore. A man appears at the door, with a shipment of books bound together in neat stacks. "Delivery!"

Jack walks up to him, wearing a green apron, waving his cloth duster, scornfully. "I don't think so. I ordered the kung pao chicken with a side of soup!" Says Jack.

Another man, in a green apron, hurries over and gets between him and the delivery guy, frantically. "You nincompoop! That's our store delivery, not your lunch! Beat it!" Jack gets kicked out again, and walks away, still unaffected. "Whatever." Jack says.

There's an iron-shaped, charred hole through the sleeve of a shirt, and the man receiving it is not happy about it. Jack's next attempt is dry cleaning. "Ugggh! What's with this hole in my shirt?!" "What? You said 'get rid of the stain', and that's exactly what I did. What do you mean I'm fired?!" Asks Jack. And he comes flying out of another door and walks away. "People're so strange." Jack says.

As he passes, Carly peeps out from behind a corner. _"Oh,_ _m_ _y poor Jack. If he can't prove his worth, the guys may not think he's worth keeping around!"_ Carly thinks to herself. She walks out of her hiding place, walking backwards.

Carly then collides into Skylara. "You should really learn to walk forwards, Carly." Says Skylara. Carly turns around to face her, a little timid at this point. "Oh, Skylara. I'm not spying on your boyfriend or anything like that if that's what you think." Carly says, sheepishly. "And the strange aura around you keeps growing." Says Skylara. "What's that supposed to mean? You're always speaking like you're from a different time, like you're from the past or something." Carly says. "What makes you say something like that?" Asks Skylara. "Nothing, never mind." Carly says. "Well, I must be on my way then. Good luck with, whatever you are doing." Says Skylara. She then walks away the way she was originally going, walking past Carly as she does.

Carly sighs, in relief. _"That was a close one._ _O_ _h, I know her and Jack are together, but I_ _'_ _m still Jack_ _'_ _s friend. Although, she doesn_ _'_ _t seem bothered by it at all._ _S_ _he doesn_ _'_ _t seem like the jealous type either."_ Carly thinks to herself. She watches Skylara go. _"Who exactly are you, Skylara? Wait a second…"_ Carly thinks to herself. She then digs through her bag, pulls out a photo and glances at it, closely. Carly gasps and looks back up at Skylara, as she continues to walk away. _"It_ _'_ _s almost a perfect match… But,_ _that'_ _s impossible…"_ Carly thinks to herself. "Um, Skylara! Hold up a minute!" Carly says.

Skylara stops and looks back at her.

Carly runs up to Skylara and stops when she reaches her, trying to catch her breath. "Yes, Carly? Is there something wrong?" Asks Skylara. "No, no, nothing like that. But, I was wondering if I could ask you about something?" Carly asks. "What is it?" Asks Skylara. "Well, you know that story I was telling you and Jack about earlier." Carly says. "You mean about the Sailor Guardian statues?" Says Skylara. "Yeah, that one." Carly says. "Yes, what about them?" Asks Skylara. "It's just that. Well, um, one of the statues. Here, I have a picture of it." Carly says, stuttering. She hands the photo over to Skylara, who takes it from her, gently, and looks at it. Skylara's eyes widen a bit at the sight of it. The photo is of a statue of a Sailor suited girl, that seems to resemble Skylara's appearance, minus the scars. Skylara's eyes suddenly glaze over. "Um, Skylara. Are you okay?" Asks Carly. "Day by day the beauty of darkness… all around multiplies and blooms… into a flower of treasure by which I fill… my trove at the time when I hate to see… the daylight and love to pass my time… under spell of bitter rapture and swim… with delight when, without sound I weep… in ecstasy I recall your cold face when I see… emptiness engulfs me and nothing I get to fill my void… but this lovely darkness and your shrug silently to ruminate." Skylara says, softly and passionately. She then suddenly comes to and reaches for her forehead, as if overcome by a sudden headache. "Wow, that was very deep. I didn't know you were a poet." Says Carly. "I'm not, I don't even read poetry. Perhaps, a very long time ago I did, but I don't as of now." Skylara says. "Oh, are you okay? You seem unwell." Says Carly. "Yes, I'm fine. Anyway, I'm sorry I couldn't help you out with your story." Skylara says. She hands the photo back to Carly, who takes it back. "Oh, that's okay. Sorry if I bothered you at all." Says Carly. "No, it is alright. Just not having the best of days today, that is all. I shall see you around." Skylara says. "Of course." Says Carly. Skylara then walks off. "Farewell." Skylara says.

"Bye, I hope you feel better." Says Carly. She watches Skylara leave. _"Poor thing. I hope she_ _'_ _s okay."_ Carly thinks to herself.

Night. Crow's sitting at a desk, working.

Yusei walks over. "Hey, Crow. Have you seen Jack anywhere?" Yusei asks. "Sure haven't! Must be out workin' the late shift." Says Crow. "Hmm?" Yusei asks.

The full moon reflects onto the water, then is shattered by a huge splash, as a rock the size of a fist crashes through it. Jack's standing on the bridge above, bitter and frustrated after a day of job-hunting. Jack's holding another, even bigger rock in his hand. "Fine, so maybe work isn't exactly my thing. But that doesn't mean Crow's right and I'm useless!" Says Jack. He throws the rock into the water.

"You aren't useless, Jack." Skylara says. Jack looks over his shoulder, seeing her standing behind him. Jack then looks down and closes his eyes. "I thought I might find you here." Says Skylara. "Skylara, when you finally decided to accept me back into your life… what did you see in me to make me worthy of taking back?" Jack asks. Skylara places one of her hands on his shoulder and leans herself against his back, her head lying on the same shoulder her hand is on. Jack places one of his hands on the one that's on his shoulder. "I saw the man I have been trying to awaken finally show up when I needed him the most. When you kept the power from forcing me back, I looked into your eyes and I found who I was looking for." Says Skylara. Jack then opens his eyes and faces her, taking her into his arms, holding her close to himself. "So, you don't think I'm useless?" Jack asks. "Not at all." Says Skylara. She then leans Jack into a kiss. It lasts for a few minutes and their lips soon separate. Skylara then just leans herself into Jack's chest, while he continues to hold her close to himself, brushing his fingers through the waves of her hair. A fragile wisp of smoke then wafts up from below the bridge, he sniffs, appreciatively. _"My, something sure smells good!"_ Jack thinks to himself.

Under the bridge right below him and Skylara. Carly is fanning the smoke upward from a little portable cooking stove on which a couple small, thin fish are cooking. _"That's right, Jack! I've got what you need! Can't find work on an empty stomach!"_ Carly thinks to herself.

Jack never notices her, though, because just then Skylara notices Marco, the recycling delivery kid, walking past the bridge all alone. "Jack." Skylara says, softly. "Hm?" Asks Jack. He then looks to where she's looking. Jack releases his hold on Skylara and they follow him.

Carly, hearing footsteps. "Yess! He's coming down! I'll help Jack find a job and then he'll love me!" Carly says, squealing. She stands up, holding the fish on a plate, then notices that Jack is walking off in a different direction.

Jack and Skylara walk down a dark street, and Carly tails them, ducking behind a corner in case they turn around. _"Where could they be headed?"_ Carly thinks to herself. She sees them turn a corner through a pair of stone gateposts and into a small, forested lot amid tall apartment buildings. "Uh." Says Carly. She spots a familiar sight through the fence around the forested lot. "The Sailor Guardian Memorial Statues! But why? Is he planning to make a wish? Wait just a minute! I know what he's up to, he's planning to steal the offerings to make some dough! No, Jack, don't!" Carly says. She runs through the gate and runs right into Jack, frantically. Jack claps a hand over Carly's mouth and pulls her out of sight into the trees before they're seen. "Quick, this way! Can you be quiet?!" Asks Jack, whispering. Carly nods. Jack lets Carly go. Carly looks up at Jack, her wide gray eyes visible through her glasses. _"That's weird, he doesn't seem surprised to see me. In fact, he seems kind of distracted and nervous! Wait a sec, he wasn't planning to rob the statue, he was planning to propose!"_ Carly thinks to herself. She is seeing dreamy pink bubbles. Carly puckers up and makes kissing noises. Jack is entirely not paying attention. "Yoo-hoo, my sweet love. I'm right here, and ready, uh." Carly says. Then she realizes what Jack's looking at.

Marco is standing before two of the Sailor Guardian Statues.

"Hey, it's that kid. The one from the coffee shop, yeah?" Asks Carly. "Yeah. He shouldn't be out alone this late." Jack says. "Hey Jack, where'd Skylara go?" Asks Carly. "She's up to something, just be quiet and don't ruin this for 'er. For some reason this place means something to her, only she won't tell me why." Jack says.

Marco takes his dueling deck from his pocket and looks at his top card, Smile Kid. Marco sighs, grips his deck with both hands, and sets half of it down on the small pedestal before the statue of the Sailor Scout depicted on the card 'Sailor Moon, the Soldier of Light and Hope, Leader and Princess of the Inner Sailor Guardians and Inner Solar System'. Marco then sets the rest of the deck on the other Sailor statue on the small pedestal before the statue depicted on the card 'Sailor Galaxy, the Soldier of Darkness and Vengeance, Leader and Princess of the Outer Sailor Guardians and Outer Solar System'.

"What's he doing?" Asks Jack.

Marco clasps his hands. "Please, Sailor Statues of both Inner and Outer Solar Systems, of both Light and Dark. I don't have any money, but still, I beg you. Take my deck, and let us be free of Piero." Marco says, fervently.

"Piero?!" Asks Carly. "What's a Piero?" Jack asks. "Not what, who. He's an underworld crime boss who preys on the weak. He'll loan someone a little money and make them sign a contract, but the fine print on it says that until he's paid back in full, he can take everything they own!" Says Carly, intensely.

Another little kid who looks a lot like Marco, but with darker hair, runs through the gate. "Big bro!" "Huh? Mikey!" Marco says. Mikey points. "What're you doing here, Marco?!" Asks Mikey, accusingly. "Nothin', little bro. Come on, let's just go home." Marco says. "Don't lie to me! I see that deck sitting behind you!" Says Mikey. "Uh." Marco says. "And I recognize it, it's yours! And I'm not gonna let you toss it away, not when you wanna be a duelist!" Says Mikey.

"Huh?" Jack asks, quietly.

"I hear ya, Mikey, but there are some things that are more important than what I want. Than my dumb dreams. And getting out from under Piero's thumb is one of those things!" Says Marco.

Both Jack and Skylara are listening, intently, with growing surprise.

"We can't keep living this way. He's taken everything our family has! All our money, all our stuff, and still he wants more!" Marco says.

"Huh?" Asks Skylara, hidden on the other side of the field.

Marco looks back at the decks on the two altars. "Which is why I'm gonna wish on this deck and prove Piero wrong!" Marco says.

Flashback. "These cards are useless! Hah!" Says Piero. He flings them up in the air and they scatter all over the floor. Among them are the trap 'Dust Tornado', the spells 'Scapegoat' and 'Double Summon', and the monster card Spirit of the Breeze. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Marco is staring into space. "Big bro?" Mikey asks. Marco snaps out of it and offers a hand for him to hold. "Come on, Mikey. Let's get home so mom doesn't worry about us." Says Marco. "Hmm!" Mikey says. He and Marco walk home through the narrow alley under the bright full moon.

Jack and Carly watch them go. "That Piero guy sure is a worm! I only wish there was something we could do to help those two!" Says Carly. "Well, maybe there is, Carly." Jack says. "Wait Jack, you're not suggesting? W-wait, what're you suggesting?" Asks Carly. "A duel." Jack says, seriously and intensely. He then walks back into the gate and stops a few steps behind Skylara, who is looking up at the statues. _"I miss those days sometimes._ _Usagi_ _, Mamoru, Am_ _i_ _, R_ _ei_ _,_ _Makoto and_ _Chibi_ _u_ _sa._ _Fighting alongside you was fun, but then I had to lead the others. I still see Mina_ _ko_ _sometimes, so I know she_ _'_ _s still around."_ Skylara thinks to herself. She then brings her attention to the other four statues on the other side of the field where she was hiding before. _"_ _Setsuna_ _, Mich_ _iru_ _,_ _Haruka_ _and even you, Hotaru. I miss leading you girls in battle."_ Skylara thinks to herself. She then looks toward the statue that has three figures on top of it, standing heroic. _"Seiya, Taiki and Yaten. Even though you weren_ _'_ _t completely with us, you still fought alongside us, thanks to your sympathy, Seiya. I miss you girls,_ _as well_ _."_ Skylara thinks to herself. She then looks at a statue that looks very similar to herself. Then Skylara pulls back some of her hair, her coat and her shirt to reveal a scar that resides against the left side of her chest, in the shape of a crescent moon. Jack then places one of his hands on Skylara's shoulder, bringing her attention from the past back to the present. "So, what's with these statues that your so into them? It's like you have some sort of connection." Says Jack. "I know a lot about these statues, that is all. Just some sentimental values." Skylara says. Jack sees the crescent moon shaped scar before she can hide it from view, to remain hidden once more. "Day by day the beauty of darkness… all around multiplies and blooms… into a flower of treasure by which I fill… my trove at the time when I hate to see… the daylight and love to pass my time… under spell of bitter rapture and swim… with delight when, without sound I weep… in ecstasy I recall your cold face when I see… emptiness engulfs me and nothing I get to fill my void… but this lovely darkness and your shrug silently to ruminate." Says Skylara, mournfully. Jack picks up the deck Marco placed on the altars.

"Wait, Jack, you can't take those, they're Marco's offering! Uh... for his wish...!" Carly says.

 _"And I plan on using these to grant that wish!"_ Jack thinks to himself.

In a building somewhere in this same part of town. "Don'tcha just love how that kid Marco grovels?" "Yeah! 'Please, Don Piero, don't take all our money, then I can't buy my sick mom her medicine'!" The two thugs and Piero himself, seated over at the desk, all guffaw. The two thugs are lounging on couches, a third thug stops crunching numbers with a calculator, computer and several forms at a nearby table to join in laughing.

Just then, a familiar boot kicks in the front door.

Everyone stops laughing. Piero looks mildly annoyed.

Jack steps through the doorway, Skylara right at his side.

The thug near the computer stands up. "You got a lotta nerve!"

Jack surveys the room, coolly, until his eyes fall on the only person in the room still seated. "I'm guessing that you're Don Piero." Says Jack.

"Why, yes I am! And unless I'm mistaken, you're Jack Atlas. The 'Master of Faster'!" Piero says, with cheerful affability. He doesn't need to be overtly threatening himself in order to get his way, his style is all innocent smiles and flattery, with the other three providing the knuckle-cracking to occasionally back up his friendly 'requests'.

"The Master of wha? Of plaster?" The second thug shrugs, he doesn't get it either.

Jack seethes, quietly.

"You'll have to excuse them, Jack. These kids today, they simply don't know the old-timer duelists like they really ought to! And unless I'm mistaken, your girl is Skylar Alektra. The 'Princess of Darkness'!" Says Piero.

"It is Skylara Galatea, thank you very much!"

"Well, she is quite the beauty, isn't she? Especially with those scars." One of the thugs approaches Skylara, close to touching her face, until Jack grabs his wrist, coming between the two of them. "You keep your greedy hands off of her! She's mine, ya got that!" Jack says, threateningly.

One of the thugs behind him approaches, while he's occupied with the other one. He has a kendo stick in his hands, it's no bat, but it can certainly cause injury to someone or even knock them out if hit in the head good enough. He raises it up into the air, ready to hit Jack with it. "You really should watch who you're talking to, boy." "Who do you think you're talking to?!" Asks Jack, angrily. He then gets hit right between the shoulder-blades, causing him to lean forward, while that happened he sort of threw Skylara down to the side, in order to keep her out of harms way. Skylara caught herself, making her only land on her left side. Jack then turns around and ends up getting hit in the head, causing him to fall backwards to the ground, half-conscious and half out of it.

The thug is about to hit Jack with it again, but Skylara gets up and puts herself over him. The thug stops his attempt before he can hit her. Skylara's glaring right at the thug, while still shielding Jack with her own body. "Leave him alone! It is three against one, that seems a little unfair don't you think?!" Skylara asks. "Life's just not fair, little chickadee." "Oh, so you think picking on some little kid's family is a fair thing?!" Asks Skylara. "Like he said, life's not fair. It's a cruel little world we live in." "Now, get out of the way." "No!" Skylara says. The thug signals to another one and he grabs her from behind, pulling her off and away from Jack, holding her arms back, so she can't fight back. "Sorry, you were being difficult." "Just stay away from him! Day by day the beauty of darkness all around multiplies and blooms… into a flower of treasure by which I fill my trove at the time when I hate to see… the daylight and love to pass my time under spell of bitter rapture and swim… with delight when, without sound I weep in ecstasy I recall your cold face when I see… emptiness engulfs me and nothing I get to fill my void but this lovely darkness and your shrug silently to ruminate!" Says Skylara, angrily. At that moment, something begins glowing in the middle of her forehead. The glow then ceases to reveal a red gem on the middle of Skylara's forehead. Skylara then opens her eyes that are now glowing pure white. "Now, I shall release the powers of the galaxy!" Skylara says, furiously and powerfully. She then unleashes her power over the darkness, enveloping the office in shadows. The shadows grab the thug that has a hold of Skylara and throws him against the wall, sends another thug slammed against a different wall and the third thug suspended in mid-air.

Piero seems slightly fearful, but amazed at Skylara's abilities.

Skylara's eyes then cease glowing and return to normal. Skylara then glances up at Piero, still very much in control of her powers.

"Hm, impressive. So, you possess power over the darkness and your able to command the shadows to do your bidding. Now I see how you get your name as the 'Princess of Darkness'." Says Piero.

"I prefer it as Dark Magic." Skylara says.

"Atlas has good taste in choosing you as his woman. You possess beauty, as well as Dark Magic. But, your quite dangerous to have around." Says Piero.

One of the thugs then hits Skylara right across the orbital bone, dangerously near her left eye. Skylara lands on her side, knocked out. The shadows then fade away and the red gem embedded into Skylara's forehead vanishes, as well. "That'll teach you, little chickadee."

Jack then gets up and charges at the thugs who did the unnecessary thing, forcing them to get far away from Skylara, he is not happy at all. As soon as the thugs are far enough away, Jack goes down to his knees, and then falls down to his hands, almost like a domed shield over Skylara. Jack's left arm is against both of Skylara's thighs, while the other hand is clenched into a fist on the floor, he's furious. Jack's forehead is stained with blood, the wounds are open and visible to see. The stick managed to leave two deep wounds in Jack's forehead. Skylara's wound itself is already hard to see, but her whole left eye and side of her head is already bloodstained.

"I'm terribly sorry about them, you'll have to excuse them. Please accept my dearest apologies." Piero says.

"Not a chance!" Says Jack, he then gets himself up and lifts Skylara up, carefully. He has Skylara cradled in his arms, keeping her held to his chest, protectively and securely, as she lies almost motionless in his arms, aside from her breathing. "Plus, I'm not here for them. I'm here for you, Piero. And those contracts!" Jack says.

One of the thugs is holding a sheaf of papers, clearly they're copies of all of the restrictive contracts Don Piero has with those indebted to him. "Uh..." "The contracts?" Asks Piero.

"I want them. And I'm prepared to duel for them. So, are you man enough?! Or are you gonna hide behind your goons?!" Jack asks.

"I say hide!" "Don Piero is afraid of no duelist on all of planet Earth. But those contracts are worth quite a bit to me. If I'm going to put all of them on the line, then I think it's only fair that you, put up something that's of equal worth!" Says Piero.

Jack gasps and looks down at Skylara, cradled in his arms. "Skylara is the most precious thing to me. But if it's her your getting at, then you can't have her. Skylara is out of the question." Jack says.

"No need to worry about that. I don't gamble for another man's woman. She's all yours, Jack. Besides, she's nothing but a lovely creature that was created through evil." Says Piero.

That gets Jack fired up. "How dare you! You don't know anything about her! Skylara is many things, but she is not evil. She is just very misunderstood, she has been all her life. So, if it's not Skylara that your after, then what is it you want?" Jack asks. "Let's see, something like, oh I don't know, maybe one of your duel cards? Maybe one of your most prized duel cards? Maybe your Red Dragon Archfiend?" Asks Piero. "My Red Dragon Archfiend?!" Jack asks. "And let's add your duel runner as well, just for good measure. If you're not man enough, I understand completely." Says Piero. Jack only hesitates slightly. "You're on." Jack says.

Yusei and Crow wander down the sidewalk. "Seriously, Yusei! Why're we out here? Jack is fine, trust me!" Says Crow. Yusei, looking around, is the first to spot what's going on across the street. "Huh?" Yusei asks. Then Crow looks in the same direction.

They've found Jack, standing on one side of a small parking lot looking tense. A duel is brewing. Skylara is still being cradled in Jack's arms though.

"Are you sure?" Asks Yusei. "Uhh, no. What's goin' on?" Crow asks.

They look to the other side of the lot, where Don Piero himself is squaring off against Jack. His three flunkies stand behind and to one side of him.

"A duel." Says Yusei. They walk over to Jack.

"Jack!" Crow says. "Hullo, boys." Says Jack. "We've been looking for you, what's happening?" Yusei asks. "And what the heck happened to you two?" Asks Crow. Jack and Skylara are both still bloodstained and there's still more blood running down from their new wounds.

"Where're you taking me? W-what do I care about some duel?" Marco asks.

They turn, Carly is leading him to the sidelines.

"He's here." Says Jack. "Marco?" Crow asks.

"Huh? What's this? The guys? But why?" Asks Marco. He looks over at the other side of the field. "Piero!" Marco says.

"Heheheheheh. Remember, I win, and I get your legendary Red Dragon Archfiend card and your duel runner to boot." Says Piero.

Yusei, Crow and Marco gasp, in shock… what?!

"Don't you worry, I remember!" Jack says. "What did we walk into?!" Asks Yusei. "Some high stakes, that's what!" Crow says.

Skylara's beginning to regain consciousness and her eyes open, slowly. "Oh good, your awake." Says Jack. "Skylara, do you know what's going on?" Crow asks. "Jack's dueling Don Piero for the freedom of all those in his debt." Says Skylara.

"Huh?! No, Jack, you can't! That card and your runner, I know how much they mean to you!" Marco says.

"They mean nothing, Marco. Not when you put it up against a person's wish!" Says Jack. He then places Skylara down, keeping her steady on her feet. "Here, Yusei. Take 'er." Jack says. Yusei nods, steps up and takes Skylara into his hold.

"Huh...? A wish...?" Asks Marco.

Flashback. "Which is why I'm wishing on this deck." Marco says. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. The full moon is still bright above, casting plenty of light for a late-night duel. "Let's duel!" Says both Jack and Piero.

"Take this jerk down, Jack!" Crow says.

"I'll start off. I draw. Ah!" Says Piero. His opening draw is 'Upstart Goblin'. "And first, I activate the spell card 'Upstart Goblin'. Now I get to draw an extra card from my deck, and you get an extra one thousand lifepoints!" Piero says.

Jack looks up, slightly confused, as shining golden cash rains down on him from above. Jack's lifepoints are now 5000.

"Huh?! Why's he giving Jack extra points?!" Asks Carly.

"Because I happen to be a very nice guy. Why, in fact he can have all the lifepoints that he cares to borrow!" Piero says.

"Oh, ahh." Says Jack.

"Jack can't trust him!" Marco says, addressing Skylara, who is the closest to him. Skylara's leaning on Yusei, one arm over his shoulder. Marco then looks over to Jack. "It's a trap, he's got something up his sleeve, I know it!" Says Marco, yelling.

"Just relax, I'm no fool." Jack says.

"Really? 'Cause I just played you for one! I special-summon Nefarious Trader. Since you have more attack points than me, I'm allowed to bring him out. Next, I'll bring out Toichi the Nefarious Debt Collector in defense mode! And then I'll place one face down to end my turn. Now then, how about repaying those lifepoints I loaned you, friend?" Asks Piero.

"We're not friends, you bloodsucker. My turn!" Jack says. He draws. "First, since you already have two monsters out, I can summon this chap without having to release a thing! Come on out, Power Invader!" Says Jack.

"So you're really not going to repay those lifepoints, eh? Fine, but you asked for it. I activate the trap 'Endless Loan'. This makes it so that when you summon a monster, I can summon a Loan Token on your field in defense mode." Piero says.

Jack's new token is a little, kinda cute little lizard creature with horns, who is then loaded down with a huge 1000 pound weight that it can barely hold up. "What's a Loan Token?!" Asks Jack.

"Sure is ugly!" Carly says.

"Since you refused to pay me back the lifepoints I lent you, I've decided to take them back. Actually my Debt Collector Toichi will be the one doing the taking. And for every Loan Token he takes off your field, Toichi deals you one thousand points of damage!" Says Piero.

"One thousand?! And that's per Loan Token?!" Carly asks.

"Oh, and there's no use in attacking Toichi." Says Piero.

"Huh?" Jack asks.

"After all, so long as there's a Loan Token out on the field, my Debt Collector can't be destroyed in battle. Of course you can destroy a Loan Token yourself, but it'll cost you a card from your hand." Says Piero.

"The way Piero makes it sound, the only way Jack will stand a chance to win this duel is by getting rid of his cards." Skylara says. "Quick, Jack! You gotta do what Piero says or you're going to end up taking some major damage!" Says Marco.

"You may be right, but I don't do business with bullies like him! Now, Power Invader, attack that Nefarious Trader!" Jack says. Power Invader delivers a crushing punch to Piero's bat-winged businessman and his giant cell phone. Piero gets slammed down to 1800 lifepoints.

All three thugs chorus. "Piero!"

"Yeah!" Says Marco. "Way to go, Jack! Take it right to 'im!" Carly says.

"What you should've taken was Marco's advice. But since you decided not to, you're deeper in debt, because when Nefarious Trader is destroyed in battle, another Loan Token is summoned onto your field!" Says Piero.

"Gah! Now he's got two tokens!" Carly says. "And if Jack summons any monsters, he'll only get more of them!" Says Yusei. "So then what's he supposed to do?!" Crow asks.

"Simple, he should do some business with me and pay a card!" Says Piero.

"Jack, just pay! Otherwise, next round, you'll…" Marco says.

"I refuse! I play two face downs, and end my turn!" Says Jack.

Piero tugs his unnaturally crimped mustache. "Fine, refuse to pay a card. Instead I'm just going to make you pay the price, and a very hefty price it's going to be! I equip the spell 'Illegal Business Practices', onto Toichi the Nefarious Debt Collector. This doubles all effect damages!" Piero says.

"Wait! Then, with two tokens out, the damage Jack's gonna take will be a lot!" Says Carly.

"Time to collect our debt, Toichi!" Piero says. Toichi arms himself with a nasty, official-looking piece of paper that reads 1000.

Jack doesn't blink.

"It's time you gave Don Piero some respect! And by respect, I mean four thousand of your lifepoints!"

Another 1000 weight falls on each of Jack's Loan Tokens. Those poor, poor lizard-things. Jack stumbles, suddenly hit with the damage, and when his lifepoints have dropped to 1000, he's still shaking.

Marco runs a few steps forward. "Jack! Oh no!" Says Marco. Behind him, Yusei and Crow also move in closer to the duel, looking concerned. Only Skylara stops all three from going any further by placing a hand to stop them. "This is Jack's fight, not ours." Skylara says. "But, he'll be defeated and surely lose his precious card and runner." Says Marco. He goes a little bit further, but stops when he feels a hand wrapped around his wrist to stop him from going further. Marco looks and sees Skylara holding him back. "He's doing this to make a point and trust me he always manages to do so." Skylara says. Marco faces her half-bloodstained face, feeling remorse for the injury.

Jack glares at Piero, fiercely.

"Just face it, Jack! If you want to save the last of your lifepoints, you'll do as I say!" Says Piero.

"He's right, Jack! Just give up some of your cards!" Marco says.

"No way! I'm not gonna play by his rules! It's my move! And first, by sending one card in my hand to the graveyard, I'm going to summon this monster. Come out, Smile Kid!" Says Jack. Smile Kid is a small child, with butterfly wings.

When the monster card Smile Kid is destroyed by a card effect, you can summon one Smile Angel from your deck onto the field.

"But, Smile Kid?! That's my card!" Marco says.

"Ah, that was an excellent move, Jack, excellent for me that is. Because now 'Endless Loan' activates! Which means another Loan Token will appear on your field." Says Piero.

And a third little lizard-guy appears on Jack's field and then gets all but squished with a gigantic weight.

"Ohh! That makes three now!" Carly says. "Come on, Jack! You can't owe any more! Just give up some cards from your hand!" Says Marco.

"Oh, I will, but not for Piero! I activate the trap 'Compulsory Recoil Device'! Now by sending one card in my hand to the graveyard, I can return one monster on my field to my hand. Next, I'll send another card in my hand to the grave and re-summon, Smile Kid!" Jack says.

"Whaat? All that to summon out the same monster? Here comes another token! Oh. Maybe not. Oh right! Since Jack's field is full, no more monsters can fit on it!" Says Carly.

"All right, you fool, I hope that you're quite happy with yourself? You got rid of your cards on your own terms. But what did you prove? Toichi is still going to take out the rest of your lifepoints next round! It's done, you've lost! And you know what that means, your Red Dragon Archfiend and your duel runner now both belong to me, the great Don Piero! Aaahahahahahahaha!"

"Uh." Yusei says. "Jack!" Says Marco.

Then Jack reveals a small smile. "Not just yet." Jack says.

Piero stops smiling, instantly.

"Go time!" Says Crow, addressing Skylara. Skylara nods, subtly.

"I play 'Zero Hole'! Go!" Jack says. His other face down card activates.

"Zero Hole"?!" Asks Piero.

"With 'Zero Hole', if Jack has no cards in his hand, then all cards on the field are destroyed!" Skylara says.

"Say what?! All of the cards?!" Asks Piero.

"Oh, so then that's why Jack was discarding from his hand." Carly says. "Uh-huh!" Says Crow.

A big huge black hole opens up in the center of the field, growing wider and wider.

Don Piero nervously dances backward as it grows.

Piero's entire field shatters and vanishes, as do all three of Jack's Loan Tokens, Power Invader, Smile Kid and activated face downs.

"And knowing Jack like I do, he's not done yet." Skylara says.

"Next, I activate Smile Kid's ability! And now that I have Smile Angel on the field, I can turn Marco's frown upside-down!" Says Jack. Smile Angel is a young female angel with big, white feathery wings, as well as wing-shaped fluffs of her hot pink hair and little wings on the back of each of her slippers.

"Ah! Eighteen-hundred attack points?!" Piero asks.

"Got that right! And that's enough to take you down!" Says Jack.

Smile Angel laughs, with delight, beaming a raging storm of pink hearts and bright light right at Piero. "Ugghhh! Your smile is so disarming! Uuuggghhuwaaaaaaahhhh, uugghh." Piero says. He goes flying backwards, the toupee he was wearing falls off, revealing him to be almost completely bald. Piero lands hard on the ground, and gets a face-full of toupee. Piero's lifepoints fall to zero.

"Oh, yeah!" Says both Carly and Marco, cheering. She then hugs him, spontaneously.

Across the field, Piero's three thugs hurry over to him. "Piero!" "No, this isn't happening! The Don never loses a duel!" Piero says.

Skylara walks over and stands over him. "You lost more than just that." Says Skylara.

Jack walks up from behind her, standing next to her. "A deal's a deal, now hand over those contracts right now!" Jack says, fiercely. Piero gets to his feet and… "Run!" The four crooks scramble to get away.

Jack throws a card.

It hits the guy carrying their bag of stuff, including the contracts, in the back of the neck. He stumbles, drops it and keeps running.

Sometime later, Jack rips the final contract in half. He, Skylara, Yusei, Crow, Marco and Carly are back at Yusei, Skylara, Jack and Crow's place, standing next to the test runner. Jack crumples up the pieces into a wad of trash. Jack's forehead is clear of blood and the two wounds are stitched up and somewhat hidden by his hair. Skylara's wound is stitched up, as well, her wound is visible around her upper left eye and a little to the side of it. The bloods all clear from Skylara's face, too. "Now you and anyone else who was in Piero's debt is free." Says Jack. "Thank you so much, Jack!" Marco says. "And don't forget these." Says Skylara. She offers Marco the deck Jack took from the altars, with Smile Kid on top. "The cards I wished on! Gee, I dunno." Marco says. "I heard you when you made that wish. I know it is your dream to become a duelist. And I also know you have been through hard times, helping your family, your mom being sick. However, that is why you must follow your dream, so you can make them proud." Says Skylara. "Ya think so?" Marco asks. Jack steps up and holds at Skylara's hand, lacing his fingers with hers. "Trust me, she knows so. And I'm sure one day we'll meet on the duel field!" Says Jack. Marco nods and takes his deck from Skylara. "Thanks." Marco says. "Go get 'em." Says Carly. Marco nods, smiling. "Well, Jack sure proved me wrong! Talk about doing something of use!" Crow says, aside to Skylara. "Yes, big-time." Says Skylara, aside to Crow.

The next day, bright and sunny. "You're useless!"

Jack stalks out of the cafe he had coffee at the day before. "Oh yeah? Well, you can't fire me, 'cause I quit!" Jack says.

The redheaded waitress runs out after him. "Jack, wait!"

Jack doesn't turn around or stop walking. "You people're crazy, I did everything that you said!" Says Jack.

"You think clearing dishes means tossing them to the floor?" She sighs, gusty. "Ugh! I think I'll just let Carly have you!"

Skylara and Crow are watching from the opposite side of the plaza. "Oh, man! I guess I'd better pick up a double-shift tonight!" Crow says. He groans and sighs, while Skylara shrugs and smiles.


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6: The Wicked Spirit_

A foggy, marshy river, deep in the forest. A small wooden pier is built on one edge, with a small rowboat beside it. On the other side of the spooky creek is an old, dark house.

Inside, footsteps can be heard descending a staircase.

In a bedroom in the house, the shelves are filled with dolls, all wearing identical frilly dresses in shades of pink and purple, all with eerily similar shining locks and bright, almost lively eyes. In the center of the room is a bed, curtained in lavender.

The door opens. A young boy, with light blue hair, wearing a teal waistcoat, a turquoise button-up shirt and white pants, walks into the room and stands beside the veiled bed. "Claire. It's me. Don't be afraid. If something bad comes this way, I'll protect you." Beyond the filmy curtain, a glimpse of golden blonde hair. Out of the corner of one incredibly intense, bright turquoise eye, the boy glances over at the duel disk sitting on the shelf beside the last of the dolls. "I'll never let anything hurt you, I promise."

And their old house abides, silently, in the depths of the forest.

The moonlight shines through a narrow gap in the treetops and night creatures of all varieties call out in the shadows. An ugly-looking raven shrieks nearby and takes flight, scattering black feathers.

Just after sunset, Luna, Leo and Dexter are venturing into this wilderness. "I-I say we go back now. O-okay, guys? Guys?" Leo asks. "You're the one who wanted to explore. Leo, heheh, are you scared?" Asks Dexter. "U-u-ugh, I'm not scared at all!" Leo says. He hears a noise. "Uuaaaggh! No, I was just thinking that Luna might be scared, that's all!" Says Leo. "Actually, I'm fine." Luna says. "Super!" Says Leo. He laughs, nervously. "Then I'm fine, too!" Leo says. "Mmm." Says Dexter. "Just stay close!" Leo says. They walk into the forest. Leo tries not to be too obvious, as he clings to the back of Dexter's backpack. Luna looks around, curiously, then halts as something catches her eye. The forest ahead of Luna is empty, except for mist, but something about it is calling to her. "Something's over there, I can feel it." Says Luna. Her eyes suddenly go blank, as she falls into a trance and walks forward.

Leo and Dexter, heading in the opposite direction, don't notice.

The forest closes in around Luna, as she wanders forward into the mist.

Kuribon appears and squeaks at Luna, frantically. "Ku-ri-bi! Ku-ri ku-ri! Ku-ri-bi!"

Regulus, the lion-like deputy ruler of the Duel Monsters Spirit World, appears next. "Luna, please listen! I sense a powerful spirit up ahead! You must turn back!" Regulus says. Luna can't hear them. Suddenly, waves pulse out from her, forcing them away. "Ku-ri-bi!" "Uugggh!" Says Regulus. They vanish. "Luna!" Regulus says.

Mid-afternoon or so casts a shadow over the garage entrance to Yusei, Skylara, Jack and Crow's basement.

Skylara looks up from the test runner at Crow, her upper left eye is still stitched up where she got hit, the wounds healing, just not as fast as she wants it to. A small portion of Skylara's hair is tied back. "Wicked spirits?" Asks Skylara.

Crow's sitting backwards on a nearby chair in his work sweatshirt, munching on a sandwich. "Yeah, I can't believe you've never heard the story, Skylara! How people go for a hike in the forest and then just vanish!" Crow says. He looks smug and cheerful, he's always one for telling a good scary story. "Supposedly the first to disappear were two young kids. Spirits snatched 'em right from their house." Says Crow. He takes a big bite of his sandwich.

"Aren't you getting a little old for ghost stories, Crow?" Skylara asks.

Crow shoves the rest of the half-sandwich into his mouth. "I'm tellin' ya its true! And ever since that fateful day, anyone who happens to wander too deep in the forest gets snatched, too! Anyway, I oughta get goin', Skylara. I'm late for work." Says Crow, with his mouth full.

He soon zooms out through the garage entrance. "Later!" Crow says.

Luna walks through the deep, dark forest. Luna steps on a twig and the sound of it snapping breaks her trance. Luna comes to, looks down at the snapped twig, then around at her unfamiliar surroundings. Luna is now lost, deep in the forest. "Uh? Whoa, where am I?" Asks Luna. She's starting to get scared. "Leo? Dexter? Anyone?!" Luna asks.

Only growls and snarls from the surrounding trees answer her.

Luna looks around. "Is-is there somebody out there?" Asks Luna, nervously. Vines lower themselves from the trees above, some behind her, some ahead. Luna looks up and sees them moving on their own. "Aaahhh!" Luna backs up a few steps and sees vine tendrils moving around her feet, inching toward her neat school-uniform shoes. "He-e-e-e-e-elp! Ohh! Leo! Dexter! Someone please help me!" Luna says.

A card appears in midair, 'Heavy Storm'. The trees and vines around Luna shatter one by one. "Huh?" Asks Luna.

"Are you okay?"

Across the clearing, through the mist, Luna sees a boy, about her own age, standing there wearing a duel disk.

"No need to be scared."

"Who are you?" Luna asks.

"My name's Haley, and yours?"

"Luna. Hi."

"Nice to meet you, Luna. This is a dangerous place to be alone. This entire forest is full of wicked spirits." Says Haley.

"Spirits?" Luna asks.

"Yeah. Come with me. My house is just a ways past the lake, you can meet my little sister, Claire. Plus, you'll be safe." Says Haley.

"Uhh, I guess that would be okay." Luna says.

Through the mist, a large house is just barely visible.

A radiant, orange sun is sinking below the rooftops in the plaza near Yusei, Skylara, Jack and Crow's flat.

Skylara is still working on the new engine.

"Hey, Skylara!"

Skylara looks up.

Dexter suddenly bursts through her front door, out of breath. "Skylara!" Says Dexter.

"What is it, Dexter? Is everything alright?" Skylara asks.

Dexter points out the door. "Uhh, i-i-it's Luna! We lost her in the forest!" Says Dexter, anxiously.

"What?" Skylara asks.

"Leo went looking for her, and now he's gone!" Says Dexter.

Skylara stands up. "Wait, is this the forest with the spirits?" Skylara asks, starting to get worried.

"Uh." Says Dexter.

Skylara gasps, maybe Crow's story was more real than she thought.

Leo runs headlong through the forest, dodging trees, in a panic. "Luna! L-Luna!" Leo says. He stops. "Luna-a-a-a-a!" Says Leo, shouting even louder.

Threatening growls from the forest answer him.

Leo braces himself for a fight, then looks around himself. "Is someone there?" Leo asks. _"_ _Hang tough, Leo. You can_ _'_ _t start getting scared. You have to find Luna!"_ Leo thinks to himself. He keeps running.

Haley walks up to the front door and turns to Luna. "Here we are." Says Haley. He opens the door and Luna steps inside. It's very dark and empty. The door creaks. "So, let me get this straight. You can keep away the wicked spirits with your deck?" Luna asks. "Yeah. I've been doing it for a while now, too." Says Haley. "Wow, that's cool. I guess, I don't have any reason to be scared with you around to protect me!" Luna says. "Got that right, Luna. I'll protect you no matter what it takes! Just like how I've been protecting my sis." Says Haley. Luna smiles, elated. "Come on, I'll introduce you." Haley says. As Luna passes it, there's a glimpse of a portrait on the wall, depicting Haley standing beside a chair, in which is enthroned a young girl, with golden blonde tresses, tied within a large orange bow, and dressed in a gown.

The windows along the hallway are lit with what pale sunlight they can get, lighting up boxes of light on the hallway floor. Haley and Luna are standing at the door at the end of the hall. Haley knocks. "Claire?" Asks Haley. He opens the door and walks into the room from earlier, with the dolls and the curtain-draped bed. "Claire, I have someone I'd like you to meet." Haley says. Luna takes a few steps into the room. "Uhh, hi, Claire." Says Luna, timidly. "Hey Claire, wanna say 'hi' back?" Haley asks, gently. The veiled bed is silent. "Maybe she's sleeping?" Asks Luna. "Probably. She sleeps a lot ever since we had this really close call with the wicked spirits a while back. Actually, when was it? All the days seem to blend together since then." Haley says. "So, what is it these spirits want? Why're they after us? D'ya have any idea?" Asks Luna. "All I know is that this forest is haunted. And the spirits that haunt it, won't stop until they find two humans, but I don't know why. Huh?!" Haley asks. He heard a noise, or glimpsed something out of the corner of his eye. Haley hurries to the window, to look down to the ground in front of the house. "What's wrong, Haley?" Asks Luna. "Something's coming, and I think it's you-know-who!" Haley says. "Uh?" Asks Luna. Haley points at the floor to emphasize his command. "Stay here until I come back. It's not safe for you to leave this room!" Haley says. He strides from the room. "Wait! I can…" Says Luna. The door slams behind Haley.

 _"Oh!"_ Luna thinks to herself.

Leo has found the old house and is standing before it. _"Whoa. I wonder if Luna's in there? Guess I should knock."_ Leo thinks to himself.

Just then, both sides of the double-door swing open. Haley is standing in the doorway, an imposing challenger.

Leo ducks his head against the wind that accompanies Haley's dramatic appearance. _"Or, maybe not."_ Leo thinks to himself.

"You're not welcome here, you foul, wicked spirit!" Haley says. He activates his duel disk. "Now, prepare to do battle!" Says Haley.

"Wait, did you say, 'spirit'?" Leo asks.

Luna has a sudden feeling and walks to the window just in time to see Haley walk forward to square off against… _"Leo?! Ah!"_ Luna thinks to herself.

"But I'm not a spirit. Huh?" Asks Leo.

"Leo!" Luna says, calling from behind the window.

Leo looks up and sees her in the window, anxiously watching. "Luna?!" Asks Leo. He runs toward the door, which slams shut on its own.

"I said you're not welcome here!" Haley says.

"Listen up, that's my sister you've got in there, buster! Let 'er go or else!" Says Leo.

Haley says nothing, only glares.

Leo opens his backpack and pulls his duel disk out of its custom-designed backpack sheath. "Fine then. I'll just have to duel my way in there." Leo says.

Luna turns from the window to approach the bed. "Claire, your brother, he's... Huh?!" Asks Luna. She pulls aside the veils and gasps. Lying in the bed is a doll, with golden blonde hair and bright blue eyes, staring lifelessly up at the canopy. _"She's a doll?!"_ Luna thinks to herself.

A deck shuffles. Leo and Haley each draw five cards and start with 4000 lifepoints. "Duel!" Both Leo and Haley say.

Leo looks up at the window, Luna has returned. "Ah! Don't worry, Luna! I'll get you outta there!" Says Leo.

"Leo!" Luna says, nervously.

"Here I go! I draw! And for my first move I activate the spell card, 'Circle of Life'!" Says Haley.

A glowing golden seal appears on the ground, he steps forward so he's standing at one edge and Leo at the other.

"Now, for the rest of the duel, during each of our turns we can't play spells unless we send a spell card in our hand to the graveyard." Haley says.

"We what?!" Asks Leo.

"So. in order to play a spell now, I'm going to send 'Mirror Prison' to my grave. And now I'm allowed to activate this card, 'Circle of Terror'!" Haley says.

A second glowing seal, this one pink, appears around the outside edge of the first.

Leo looks around at it, nervously.

"Due to this, during each of our turns, we can't summon a monster without sending a monster card in our hand to the grave first!" Says Haley.

Leo notices that the house behind him appears to have started giving off shadowy fumes, outlined in purple, foggy energy. The window on his far left, the one known to be Claire's bedroom where Luna is trapped, is especially coated in it. "Whoa! Seems like these circles are having some effect on that house, too! The house Luna's inside!" Leo says. _"I gotta do something! But to do anything, it sounds like I'm gonna have to get rid of a card in my deck, first!"_ Leo thinks to himself.

Haley looks down at his hand, Hollow Ghost, Hollow Spirit and Sleepy Beauty. "Hmph. Now then, for my next move, I send my zombie-type Sleepy Beauty to the grave. And because I did, I can now decrease the level of any zombie-type monsters in my deck by one! Now my level-five Hollow Spirit, becomes level-four and I can summon it without sacrificing!" Says Haley. Hollow Spirit has 1200 attack points and is a level 5 monster. "I can't attack with Hollow Spirit, because it's my first turn, but ya still have to deal with his special ability!" Haley says.

"Uhhh." Says Leo.

"After all, it activates whenever there's a zombie-type monster in my grave! And it means you take eight hundred points of damage!" Haley says.

"Unnn." Says Leo.

"I end my turn." Haley says.

Leo staggers a step. Leo's duel disk arm is shaking slightly. "What's going on? That didn't feel like I lost my lifepoints, it's like something drained my energy." Says Leo.

Luna is watching from the window, palms pressed up against the glass.

Leo shakes it off. _"No! I can't let it get to me! I have to win this duel. I have to save Luna!"_ Leo thinks to himself. "It's my turn! Here goes!" Leo says. _"Ohh, I gotta get this guy out on the field!"_ Leo thinks to himself. "I'll send Morphtronic Datatron to the graveyard to summon…" Says Leo.

"Oh, by the way, since the card I sent to the grave on my turn was 'Mirror Prison'." Haley says.

"Uhh!" Says Leo.

"The monster you summon now isn't allowed to attack unless it's the same type of monster as the one you sacrifice. That is, of course, if the monster is a Machine or Zombie-type." Haley says.

"Heh! Good, 'cause it so happens that…" Says Leo. He shows the card. "…the monster I'm summoning is a machine! Come on out, Morphtronic Scopen!" Leo says. Morphtronic Scopen has 800 attack points, 1400 defense points, is a level 3 monster and is a light type monster. Morphtronic Scopen is a robot that unfolds and transforms from the shape of an electric microscope.

"You have a machine deck?!" Asks Haley.

"I sure do! And it's about to go into high gear on you 'cause due to Scopen's special ability, I can now summon the level-four Morphtronic Videon from my hand!" Leo says. Morphtronic Videon has 1000 attack points, 1000 defense points, is a level 4 monster and is a light type. Morphtronic Videon unfolds from the form of a video camera into a battle-ready robot. "And now I'll tune Morphtronic Videon with Morphtronic Scopen, to synchro-summon, a monster with some major motor! A beast built out of pure brawn! Here he is the Power Tool Dragon!" Says Leo. Power Tool Dragon has 2300 attack points and is a level 7 monster.

"Wow, that's impressive. But, it won't be enough to get past me, you foul spirit of the dark!" Haley says.

"I'm not some foul spirit and my Dragon will get past you! 'Cause his ability lets me add one random equip spell to my hand." Says Leo. A glimpse of his hand, the card he just got is 'Break! Draw!' and his hand already includes the spells 'Morphtronic Cord', 'Factory of 100 Machines' and the trap 'Morphtronic Bind'. "Next, I'll send 'Morphtronic Cord' to my graveyard, and use the equip spell I just drew, 'Break! Draw!', with my Power Tool Dragon!" Leo says.

Haley hears the sound of a runner engine first and tries to see past him and his seals into the dark forest.

Leo notices as it gets louder, he notices Haley looking and turns to look over his shoulder.

Skylara comes zooming out of the woods and pulls up beside Leo's end of the field on her runner, her hair has been let down and now flows loose, like how she usually has it. "You are tough to find." Says Skylara. "Skylara!" Leo says.

"What's this, another wicked spirit?!" Asks Haley, suspiciously.

"What is going on, Leo?" Skylara asks. "Don't worry about me, Skylara. You need to help Luna. This kid has her trapped in that house!" Says Leo. "Trapped?!" Skylara asks.

"All that matters, is she's safe from you two!" Says Haley. He himself seems to have taken on a tinge of the shadows surrounding the house.

"Us?!" Skylara asks. "Hello, I'm her brother and she's her friend?! Now go, Power Tool Dragon, and take down that Hollow Spirit!" Says Leo.

Haley is now definitely outlined in shadowy fog. Haley winces and gasps, as his lifepoints fall to 2900.

On the sidelines. Skylara has come to a decision, she rides right past Haley, while he's distracted by having just lost lifepoints, he dodges to the side out of the way, and jumps the doorstep, crashing right through the front doors. Skylara skids to a stop in the foyer Haley and Luna walked through earlier and looks up at the dark chandelier forgotten on the ceiling. "Luna!" Skylara says.

Luna turns from the window at the call. "Skylara?!" Asks Luna.

Haley looks upset, but he doesn't have time to ponder it because Leo isn't done with him yet.

"And now I activate the effect of 'Break! Draw!', since Power Tool Dragon destroyed your monster, I get to draw one card!" Leo says. His new card is 'Morphtronic Impact Return'.

"That was foolish. I warned you not to enter the house, but you didn't listen! Now, you will pay!" Says Haley. Around him there appears a shadowy form, as though he is standing inside the gaping jaw of a fearsome ghost.

Leo's eyes bug out. "Whaaaaaooaaaaooooaaa!" Leo says.

Skylara's still standing in the downstairs foyer. "Leo!" Says Skylara. Then she turns and sees the portrait on the wall of Leo's opponent and a young girl, with golden blonde hair in an orange bow and bright green eyes. _"What is this? Two children, just like in Crow_ _'_ _s story. They were living in a house in the forest, until one day the wicked spirits came and snatched them. They were the first to disappear. Only, how can they have disappeared if they_ _a_ _re still here? Or, at least, if one of them is... It would be impossible... unless..."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

Haley is now hovering about two feet off the ground, standing in a shadowy, ghostly skull that hovers around him, like an unnatural blue-purple fog. Haley is furious.

"This kid's really starting to give me the creeps! Well then, that's all the more reason for me to stop him! I won't let him or his weird powers hurt Luna!" Leo says.

"You should be more worried about yourself right now, because when Hollow Spirit is sent to the grave, a new portal opens and Hollow Ghost is released!" Says Haley.

The edges of the seals shimmer shadowy darkness around the edge of the duel. A hole in the ground digs itself and from the darkness of the earth appears a ghost the color of Haley's eyes, with unnatural bright red eyes and a wide, vacant grin. Its long, turquoise hair entwines with its spindly arms and wispy body below the waist.

"Twenty-six-hundred attack points?! You'd've been better off keeping Hollow Spirit around!" Leo says. _"Calm down, Leo! You just have to remember what's on the line here."_ Leo thinks to himself.

Luna is watching the duel through the window. "Leo!" Says Luna.

"I know. But what can I do?" Luna turns at the sound of an unfamiliar voice in the room. It echoes as though not quite real. The ghostly form of a young girl, wearing a long orange and yellow gown, is sitting in the corner beside the bed, facing the wall. "He's just so protective, and it's been so long. Oh well. Maybe this time it will be different." Luna approaches the ghost, carefully. "No way... Are you...?" Luna asks. The ghost stands up and rubs her hands against the wall, as though searching for a hidden switch or cupboard. She seems not to realize that Luna can hear her, or even that she's there at all. "After all, he would love you all so much!" "It is you! You're Claire, but who is it you're talking to?" Asks Luna. "Why, the spirits of course! They're my friends!" Claire says.

The apparition around Haley seems to be getting freakier by the minute.

"I'll end my turn with a face down!" Says Leo.

"You should give up now, wicked spirit! I won't let you take me and my sister! I don't care how many times you come and try!" Haley says.

 _"He's done this before?!"_ Leo thinks to himself.

"It's my turn now, hah! And first, I'll have my Hollow Ghost attack your Power Tool Dragon!" Says Haley.

Power Tool Dragon is hit with a stream of dark power. Leo's down to 2900 lifepoints. "Fine, you can attack but you can't destroy! 'Cause by sending 'Break! Draw!' to the grave, my Dragon survives for another turn!" Leo says.

"He may, but your lifepoints won't! I play my Ghost's ability! When a card is sent to the grave, you take six hundred points of damage!" Says Haley.

Hollow Ghost hovers over and around Leo, breathing chilling mist down on him. Leo cries out, in pain, and he's now down to 2300 lifepoints. "Uh! Uuuaaaaaggh!"

"Then due to 'Circles of Life and Terror', I send two more cards to the grave, a spell and a monster! And Hollow Ghost's ability activates again, giving you twelve-hundred points of damage!" Haley says.

Leo's lifepoints drop further to 1100, as he yells and moans, that blueish fire really does not look like fun.

"You're finished, spirit!" Says Haley.

At the end of the hallway, Claire's bedroom door is outlined in shadowy fog.

Skylara turns the corner and approaches. As Skylara passes the other hallway door on her right, it, too, exudes shadows, and she hears whispers coming from behind it.

"Save me." "Please."

 _"Those voices. They_ _a_ _re coming from in here."_ Skylara thinks to herself. She opens the door into a shadowy void, in which duel cards float, each bearing the image of a human being, all imprisoned souls. "Help me." "Let me out of here!" "I'm trapped." _"These must be the victims of the wicked spirits, but that means that..."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

"Your turn now! If you dare!" Haley says.

Leo recovers from the attack, gasping for breath. _"Man... somehow... I gotta find a way to get rid of that Hollow Spirit! Every turn... he's crushing me!_ _Which is why one way or another, I'm gonna win this duel!"_ Leo thinks to himself.

Haley's apparition is casting dark, unhealthy shadows over his face.

"Here goes! I draw!" Says Leo. He sees his card. "Yes!" Leo says. He looks at his card, Morphtronic Datatron, and looks down at his own field, then over at Haley's. _"If it's the power of these circles that are imprisoning Luna..."_ Leo thinks to himself. "Hope you're ready, pal! I activate the trap, 'Morphtronic Impact Return'!" Says Leo.

'Morphtronic Impact Return' is a trap card that lets you return up to two spell and trap cards on your opponent's field to their hand.

"Now by returning one Morphtronic in my hand to the deck, your circles go bye-bye!" Leo says.

"Huh?! What?!" Asks Haley. His duel disk spits out the two continuous spells and the seals vanish from the ground of scrubby grass and hard-packed dirt. The shadows around the house seem to recede slightly.

Skylara opens the door to Claire's room. "Luna!" Skylara says. "Skylara! Thank goodness!" Says Luna. She runs to Skylara and hugs her. "Are you alright?" Skylara asks. "Yes, but I'm not so sure that she is." Says Luna. She releases her hold on Skylara and points to Claire, who is still talking to the wall. "What? You guys wanna play a game? Hide 'n' seek! Okay, I'll count to ten!" Claire says. She turns around, her hands covering her face. "One, two, oh." Says Claire. She finally notices Luna and Skylara, and lowers her hands to look at them with the same light green eyes from the portrait, filling with tears around the edges. "Forgot you were there. Hey, what's that?" Claire asks. Something is glowing on the chest of the doll in the bed, under the blankets. Luna walks over and pulls them aside. The doll is holding a single, glittering card. "A card? Do you know what this means?!" Asks Claire.

"Bad move! Since you sent my Circles to the grave, you'll now feel the wrath of my Hollow Ghost's special ability!" Haley says.

"Uuunnnggghh! Aaaaaaahhh!" That hurt and Leo's down to 500 lifepoints, but he stays tough. "I play my Dragon's ability! Now, one random equip spell in my deck is added to my hand!" Says Leo. _"Oh please, please be something that can help Luna! Uh?"_ Leo thinks to himself. He sees the card. "Yeah! I equip 'Power Pickaxe' to my Dragon! Now I can remove a monster whose level is less than my Power Tool Dragon's from your graveyard and from play! So, I remove Hollow Spirit! And since Hollow Spirit is now gone, so are Hollow Ghost's attack points!" Leo says.

"Ungh!" Says Haley.

"And now Power Tool Dragon's attack points increase by half the attack points of the monster that was removed from play! Okay! Now, Power Tool Dragon, attack Hollow Ghost! Supercharged Slice!" Leo says.

As Hollow Ghost is destroyed, it flashes with red and black, as though bursting into flames. Big cloud of dust. "Aa-aaagh!" When the dust clears, the apparition is gone. Haley's lifepoints decrease to zero. Haley is on one knee, defeated and scared. "Oh no. I wasn't strong enough to protect Claire from the wicked spirits!" Says Haley.

"They're not wicked." Luna says.

Haley turns around and looks up, she and Skylara are standing on the doorstep.

"Sis!" Says Leo.

"Leo!" Luna says.

"Haley!" Says Claire.

Haley looks around and Luna turns, as she floats from the doorway of the house. "Claire. What does she mean, 'the spirits aren't wicked'? They keep coming for us, trying to take us, so they can make us like them!" Haley says.

Claire floats down the steps. Haley hastens to meet Claire at the bottom. "Brother, they made us like them a long time ago. The only difference is that I realized it and you didn't." Says Claire. "Then who're they?" Haley asks.

Leo walks across the field and Luna runs to reunite with him.

Haley and Claire watch them.

"Leo!" Says Luna. "Luna, are you okay?" Leo asks. "Yes, you saved me." Says Luna. "Of course!" Leo says.

"I'm so confused." Says Haley. "Haley, you've been so focused on protecting me that you haven't been able to accept reality. You've been in limbo. D'you understand?" Claire asks. "I think, but why did the spirits take us?" Asks Haley, his voice wobbles a bit, just now he's facing the prospect of accepting this fate "'Cause. They wanted two fun kids to play with!" Claire says. "Luna, Leo, i-is there any way the two of you will ever be able to forgive me?" Asks Haley.

"Of course. Everything you did, you did because you were trying to keep your kid sister safe, right?" Luna asks. Leo nods. "Hm!" Says Leo. "But when you started to lose, this appeared." Luna says. She offers him the card the doll was holding, which depicts the doll itself, a monster card called Diva Adriana. "It's what made it possible for your sister to appear. And you to have closure." Says Luna.

"Now then, ready?" Claire asks. "Yeah." Says Haley. They turn and look at the twins. "Hey, thanks for everything." Haley says.

"No prob! You're one great duelist!" Says Leo.

Haley and Claire turn to each other and clasp hands. An invisible breeze stirs Claire's hair and they rise into the air, reaching the roof of the house before they dissolve into glittering light, and vanish.

When they do, the house itself does the same. All that remains is a tumbledown ruin, the house, like Haley, had stayed long past its time, unreal.

When it disappears, the rising sun can be seen beyond it, lighting the way out of the forest beyond.

"Whoa, where did they go? Where's the house going?" Leo asks.

Standing in the ruins are several people, waking up, looking around or scratching their heads, in confusion.

"And who're these people?" Asks Leo. "People that Haley beat in duels. You see, the stories were true, there was a wicked spirit. However, wicked only because he didn't know better. Haley was the one doing all the snatching. All the real forest spirits wanted were two kids to play with, they didn't mean any harm whatsoever." Skylara says. "So then, Haley and Claire can come back to this world anytime they want to? They're not stuck in some super-scary spirit world from here on out?" Asks Leo. "That's right!" Luna says. The three of them walk past the one wall that remains of the house, on their way home. "Hey, who knows? Maybe they shall invite us up to come play sometime." Says Skylara. "Yeah, that would be awesome!" Leo says.

Behind the wall, on the ground, is the portrait from the front foyer. Voices are coming from it. "Well, well, look who's finally not afraid anymore!" Says Claire. "Afraid? I was never afraid!" Haley says.

A cat growls. "Hey, what was that?!" Asks Leo. Luna and Skylara laugh.


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter 7: French Twist: Part 1_

Darkness. There's movement, accompanied with Skylara wincing. Sounds like Skylara just woke up and it hurts to move. "Ugh... uagh..." Skylara says, wincing. _"Where am I? I can't see a thing."_ Skylara thinks to herself. She winces, as the surface she's sitting on jerks suddenly. "Ugh…" Says Skylara, wincing. _"That bump, where did that come from?"_ Skylara thinks to herself. She explores the floor around her with her fingertips. _"Hmm. The ground is warm. However, why is it vibrating?"_ Skylara thinks to herself. She reaches out and touches the closest wall, to her right, with her right arm. _"A wall."_ Skylara thinks to herself. She leans on it to stand up and finds herself gripping a handle on the wall. _"A handle. Is this some kind of door?"_ Skylara thinks to herself. She pulls on the handle and the identical one next to it, they don't budge. Skylara slams the door with her shoulder, still nothing. Skylara's trapped. Skylara leans against the door. _"Alright._ _Its dark, it's shaking. I must be in the back of a truck."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

In fact, she's absolutely right. The outside of the truck is a flashy red and yellow billboard, with a can depicted that reads D x10 and out of its shadow is springing a fierce dragon. Some sort of energy drink. It's heading down a highway somewhere on the streets of New Domino City.

 _"Well, this can't be good."_ Skylara thinks to herself. She walks a few steps from the door. _"At least my eyes are adjusting to the dark. Huh?"_ Skylara thinks to herself. She sees something else in the truck, draped with a cloth. _"Is that?"_ Skylara thinks to herself. She walks over and pulls off the cloth, it's her duel runner. _"What is my duel runner doing here? This morning I..."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

Flashback. Skylara rides her runner along the highway and parks outside a respectable-looking house somewhere in the city, taking off her helmet. _"Yusei got sick, sick to the point to where he was unable to do much and had to stay home in bed. So, I took over for him. I was then contacted by someone who needed some parts replaced on a practice module or something. So, I made a house call."_ Skylara thinks to herself, in voice-over. She rings the doorbell, carrying Yusei's little red toolbox in her other hand. _"That is right, I remember now. When I got there, something just didn't seem right."_ Skylara thinks to herself, in voice-over. She hears a sound from inside the house, it sounds like a groan, as though a man is hurt. Skylara rings the doorbell again. "Ugh, somebody help me... Uuugh, aaaaaaahhhh!" Skylara gasps, it sounds like whoever the someone is who was groaning is in danger. Skylara pounds on the door, urgently. "Hello?!" Skylara asks. The door opens. Skylara doesn't hesitate, but hurries inside.

Skylara soon finds a man face down on the floor, this is the person who was groaning. Skylara kneels beside him and sets down the toolbox. "Hey, are you alright? Mister!" Says Skylara. The 'injured' man rolls over, his sunglasses hide his eyes and an old scar slashes his jawbone. He grins, nastily, he wasn't hurt at all. Skylara gasps, but doesn't react fast enough to realize it's a setup. "Heheheheh! Get 'er, boys!" Skylara looks over her shoulder.

Three goons, in black robbery masks, one with a red stripe, one with a yellow stripe and one with a green stripe. One of them places a cloth full of chloroform near Skylara's nose and mouth. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "It was a trap, but why? What do they want from me?" Skylara asks.

"A reasonable question."

"Huh?" Asks Skylara. She glances over her shoulder, cautiously, behind her on the wall, a television screen has flicked on. On it, a man is seated at a nondescript table, fingers laced under his chin, calculatingly. He addresses Skylara sarcastically, clearly this is the person who had her captured, or one of them. He wears a plain black business suit and white shirt, with a black-and-light-blue-striped tie, his jawline is very square, he has thin shifty eyes and his most distinctive feature is a halfway wild mop of brownish-red hair. Skylara turns around to see the screen better. "I'm glad to see you finally woke up, Miss. Galatea. I trust you're finding your accommodations pleasant? Did you notice the mint on your pillow?" "Who are you people?!" Skylara asks. "Oh, we're just a nice bunch of citizens devoted to social justice and family values." "Not quite the vibe I got from those thugs at the house." Says Skylara. "Oh, them? We employ some rough types. It keeps 'em off the streets." "What do you want with me?" Skylara asks. "I can see that you're not interested in a sarcastic tête-à-tête. So, I'll cut to the proverbial chase. You're an incredible turbo-duelist, Skylara." He gestures to his right, Skylara's left, and the camera pans out to show the same WRGP poster that she, Yusei, Jack and Crow have posted on their wall at home. "So, I'm sure you're already aware that the World Racing Grand Prix's fast approaching. I'm putting together a team to compete, and I want you on it." "Oh? Well, thank you. However, I'm afraid I'm not available. I have already formed a team with my friends Jack and Crow, and my brother Yusei. So, if you could just pull over and let me out, that would be great." Says Skylara, stubbornly. This isn't an excuse, she wouldn't race with this guy even if she weren't already taken. The man on the screen laughs, with amusement, Skylara is surprised and slightly dismayed by the reaction. "Hahahahaha!" "Huh?" Skylara asks. "You will be joining my team one way or another, sweetheart. You can either sign up voluntarily, or we can take you to see our psychiatrist. He's got a fascinating way with people's minds, although he's a bit of a control freak, if ya know what I mean." "Listen, buddy, I'm getting a little tired of your jokes!" Says Skylara. "You think I'm joking?! You really don't wanna mess with me, my dear." He leans way into the camera. "I'm not exactly what you would call, a well-balanced person? Eheheheheheheh!" Skylara is standing there watching the screen, which is now entirely filled with this guy's half-unhinged-looking grin. Having this guy in charge of what happens to Skylara next is a really bad situation, and she knows it, but she's not about to show fear. "I can see that." Skylara says. "Now please, just sit back, relax, and enjoy the view, Skylara."

The truck is still speeding along, and nobody outside it is any the wiser what's going on inside. "Because you, aren't going anywhere! Ahahahahaha!"

Somewhere on New Domino's streets. Jack is riding his runner. "Are you sure you looked everywhere? Like Oil-Slick Alley? Pier Twenty-Three?" Asks Crow, via-radio. "If you're so worried about Skylara, why don't you go look for 'er?" Jack asks.

Crow is also out riding the streets, in his work gear, his clunky gray helmet bears the same blackbird logo as his sweatshirt. Crow glances around at the buildings, as he rides. "I would, but, Clucker's Deep-Fried Chicken doesn't deliver itself. I'm on the clock." Says Crow. "I tried that 'Ultra-Crispy Crisper' the other day. It's a little heavy on the paprika, but otherwise I…" Jack says, via-radio. "How are you talking about fast food right now?! What if Crow's right and something awful's happened to Skylara! Besides, Yusei's sick in bed, so that just leaves us to look for her." Says Akiza, via-radio.

Jack and Crow both gasp, struck silent.

Akiza is sitting in the passenger seat of Minako's open-top jeep. Minako glances over at Akiza while driving, looking slightly worried about her. "Ugh! Man, these yahoos!" Akiza says. "I'm sure Skylara's okay. So, she didn't call Crow back. No big deal." Says Minako. "Well, actually…" Crow says, via-radio.

"It's not just that. I also got this really weird message at the garage." Says Crow.

Flashback. All there is, is a machine that must be an answering machine. "Your friend Skylara Galatea has been taken. I thought you should know." "What?! Why are you just now telling us this?!" Akiza asks, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "I didn't wanna freak anyone out!" Says Crow, via-radio. "I am gonna cobble you when I see you!" Akiza says, via-radio. "I believe you mean 'clobber', Akiza. To cobble is to make a shoe." Says Jack. "Well, whatever! Then I'm gonna cobble up some boots and use 'em to kick Crow's butt!" Akiza says, via-radio. "Huh. This 'Skylara' thing's got you going. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were almost more than friends with…" Says Jack. Akiza's angry face on his runner screen is hilarious. "Stop right there, Jack!" Akiza says, via-radio. "All I'm saying is…" Says Jack. Then the screen statics. "All you're sayin' is what, Jack?" Crow asks, via-screen.

"What's going on?!" Asks Akiza. "There's an interference signal, like someone's trying to hack into the transmission." Minako says. She presses a button on the dash, possibly to switch frequencies, and an unfamiliar male voice speaks to them, his tone neutral. "If you can hear this, the vehicle carrying Skylara is a soda delivery truck traveling north on Blue Hill Ave in Crescent Valley." Both women gasp. "You need to stop that vehicle…"

A brief glimpse of the person on the other end of the phone line, seeing only his mouth, jaw and hand holding the plain phone he speaks into. He's a man, fairly pale, with some lines of wear around his mouth. He's standing against a backdrop of the New Domino sky. "…and rescue her before it reaches its destination."

"Who are you? Identify yourself! This channel is reserved for Sector Security!" Says Minako. "Time is wasting." Minako and Akiza share a look, he's right. "What should we do?" Minako asks. "You heard him, move it!" Says Akiza.

They follow the city coastline, where various freeways and turbo-duel tracks extend out over the ocean, past a small waterway that travels inland, to a part of the city that is still very wooded. This may be the part of the city over which Yusei's duel with the Ghost ended.

"Well, we've just entered Crescent Valley." Minako says. Akiza's arm starts to glow and she winces. "Ugh, my arm's burning! Skylara must be close-by." Says Akiza.

A moment later, she senses something without looking, at the same instant a truck crosses their path on the highway directly beneath. Akiza turns her head and sees it.

It's the same truck from earlier, with the dragon soda billboard on the side.

"There it is!" Akiza says. "Huh?" Asks Minako. "Get us down there on Irving, Minako, quick! I saw a soda delivery truck." Akiza says. Minako takes an exit that curves down to the freeway below, then she merges into traffic ahead of a large truck, aggressively. They can't see it ahead, but Akiza's arm lights up again, pulsing. "We're getting closer!" Says Akiza. "Is that the truck?" Minako asks. Akiza looks up, ahead of them, in the lane to the right of theirs, is the dragon soda truck. "That's it. Skylara's in there! Now, get us up there!" Says Akiza. Actually they aren't in a lane, they're driving in the space between the leftmost lane and the edge of the road in their tiny jeep. Akiza stands in her seat, as they approach the big truck. "I feel it's my duty to tell you that it's dangerous to stand up in a moving vehicle." Minako says. As they pull even with the cab of the truck, Akiza gasps. "What about having nobody behind the wheel? Is that dangerous?" Asks Akiza.

Indeed, the truck seems to be running on autopilot or something, the steering wheel is moving on its own, with no one in the cab.

"It's speeding up, it, agh!" Akiza says. Her arm is burning even brighter, hurting her. Akiza winces and then puts aside the pain. "Just stay on it. I'm getting her outta there!" Says Akiza, determined.

Meanwhile, inside the truck. Skylara is watching her arm glow, the extra markings along her legs are lit up, as well. _"What_ _i_ _s this burning about?"_ Skylara thinks to herself, confused.

Akiza activates her duel disk. "Huh?!" Minako asks. "Rose Tentacles ought to do the trick!" Says Akiza. Her monster appears, a huge rose plant with several vines it uses to lash and grip its foes. "Time to break Skylara out!" Akiza says.

Rose Tentacles floats to the top of the truck, roots itself on the roof, clings to the sides with its vines and starts pounding on the back door with its leaves.

"Huh?!" Asks Skylara. The inside of the door is starting to show visible damage. "Who could that be?!" Skylara asks. The man she spoke to earlier on the video screen, plus a few henchmen, are still watching her on a surveillance camera of some kind. "Hm? What's that noise?"

Standing in the back seat of the jeep, with her duel disk confidently leveled on her arm, Akiza watches her Rose Tentacles smash away at the back door of the truck. Minako's still driving. "Should I be concerned right now?" Asks Minako, nervously. "No, it's fine. Controlling my powers isn't an issue anymore." Akiza says.

As the door caves further. Skylara can soon see the leaves smashing away at it, and beyond them. "Huh? Akiza?!" Asks Skylara.

"Hey, did someone in there order a rescue?" Akiza asks.

One of the goons turns to the guy from the video screen. "Who's she?" The mystery kidnapper snaps back. "A pizza delivery girl, how should I know?!" "I'm just sayin', boss. It might be time to move on to Plan D." "The 'if we can't have her, nobody can' plan. Well, she has seen my face now. Do it!" "Sweet! Heheheheheh." The goon manipulates a nasty-looking high-tech remote control.

A light blinks and beeps on the dash of the truck. The gas pedal floors itself and the truck pulls away from Minako and Akiza. Skylara stumbles for balance.

"Speed it up!" Says Akiza. Her and Minako's tiny jeep zooms after the great big soda truck, with a giant flower perched on top of it.

 _"I do hope you enjoy a little deep-sea diving, Skylara."_ "Shake off that plant."

The truck swerves, Rose Tentacles uproots and then shatters.

By now the truck and the jeep are zooming along a highway built on the side of a cliff above the sea. Skylara grips the edges of the smashed door, she could probably squeeze through the gap, but she would have nowhere to go. "Minako! Try and get closer!" Skylara says. She strains and shoves the weakened doors open, now the two sides of the door are swinging free.

Minako and Akiza are driving alongside and a bit behind. Akiza reaches out an arm toward Skylara and the truck. "Skylara!" Says Akiza.

The truck speeds, then slows, trying to throw Skylara off-balance.

Akiza leaps the gap and clings to the closest swinging door, barely hanging on. Akiza's left foot scrapes the ground a few times, literally. "Akiza!" Skylara says. She reaches over and grabs Akiza's wrist, pulling the door closer and letting her land inside the truck, safely. The hinge then snaps and the door Akiza was just standing on goes flying, ripping her duel disk off with it.

Minako tries to swerve and dodge the door and duel disk, but spins out.

"Oh well, there goes our ride!" Says Akiza. "I thought the idea was to get me out!" Skylara says. "Fine, next time I won't try to save you! I'll just leave you…" Says Akiza. The truck jerks, violently, interrupting the argument before it can start. The entire vehicle is swerving across two lanes, wildly. Akiza ends up sitting against a wall, while Skylara is gripping the bottom edge of the doorway. "So, d'ya think they'll slow down and let us off?" Akiza asks. "Probably not. Time for a different approach." Says Skylara. She pushes herself up to look over her shoulder at her runner. Akiza looks to where Skylara's looking. "Huh?" Akiza asks, nervously.

"This is Chief of Special Investigations Minako Aino. Security dispatch, are you receiving this?" Minako is stopped by the side of the road, broken down. Minako presses buttons on her dashboard. "Please come in, over." Says Minako. She sits back, with a heavy sigh, she's stuck there. _"Ugh! The signal is still jammed up!"_ Minako thinks to herself.

Just then, an unfamiliar runner zooms past.

Minako steps out of her car to get a better look, but the runner and rider are already gone around the corner. _"Who could that_ _'_ _ve been?"_ Minako thinks to herself.

Meanwhile. The truck is zooming out of control around the winding road built into the side of the cliff. On every curve it grates against the railing on the side.

Inside. Skylara walks over to her runner, carefully, trying to keep her balance. Skylara reaches it and hangs onto it for balance. "Uh-uh. No way. Forget about it. You are not serious." Akiza says. Skylara pulls up a compartment under the seat. "I hope you like black!" Says Skylara. Akiza catches the helmet she just threw her, as she puts on a matching one, already astride her runner. "There's no way." Akiza says. "You got another plan?" Asks Skylara. "Yeah, we let this play out! We find out who's behind all of this!" Akiza says. "Not now, we don't. You have already put yourself in enough danger because of me." Says Skylara. "Oh, so riding double is perfectly…" Akiza says, sarcastically. The truck jerks again. "We don't have time to argue about this, Akiza! Come on, hurry up and get on!" Says Skylara. "Forget it! Not gonna happen!" Akiza says.

A moment later. Skylara revs the engine with her right-side hand grip. Akiza is sitting behind Skylara, with her arms wrapped securely around the latter's waist, trying to be respectful of them both being women. However, considering the model of the runner, Akiza's body is pressed up right against Skylara's from behind. Skylara doesn't seem to mind it, but Akiza seems to be a little uncomfortable with the position that the runner has put them in. "Hold on as tight as you can." Says Skylara. "Okay, look, fine, I'll admit it! I've never ridden a duel runner before, okay?! I have a thing with super-fast moving objects. Especially when I'm on them. It's not that I…" Akiza says, talking very fast. "Here we go!" Says Skylara. "Oh boy." Akiza says, her voice getting very small.

Then Skylara sees an unfamiliar white and gold duel runner and rider approaching the truck. "What is up with this?! Reinforcements?!" Asks Skylara.

The strange rider is faceless, in a maroon helmet, with a visor and a grille, like the helmet of a medieval knight. As the white runner draws closer, it has spiky stylized flames on its front nose and back, shiny metal that imitates a horse's flowing mane and tail. "Come forth, Skylara Galatea! Come forth and duel me!" The rider's voice is strange through the mask, but sounds male and bears a thick French accent.

"Great. This day keeps getting better." Skylara says. The truck careens around another corner and scrapes against the side. The corner of the truck that keeps scraping is starting to show the wear. "So, what're you gonna do?" Asks Akiza. "I don't think we have a whole lot of options, hang on!" Skylara says. The truck is not going around this curve, it's going through the rail and over the edge. As the truck goes over the cliff, Skylara and Akiza jump free of it on her runner and lands, before they even hit the ground, the 'Speed World Two' field spell flashes across her runner screen. Skylara's runner screen also shows the time, 2:47 P.M, and a speedometer, 101km/h. "Duel mode engaged. Autopilot activated." Says the computer. "Huh?" Skylara asks.

They fly past the unfamiliar duelist, as though in slow motion.

The truck is mostly over the edge of the cliff by now. It tilts all the way over and plunges several stories down to splash into the ocean and sink.

Skylara and Akiza land on the road, back wheel sparking.

The unfamiliar duelist on the white runner turns about and races after them. "You 'ave sprang from the frying pan, only to land in le flambé, Skylara Galatea! I have come to duel you!"

"What are you talking about? Why should I duel you?" Asks Skylara.

"You do not have a choice, Skylara Galatea. Your runner 'as been tinkered with. Should you stop while in duel mode, it will, how you say, explode. Go 'boom'."

"Are you serious?!" Skylara asks. "No way!" Says Akiza.

"The only way out, is win, Mademoiselle Galatea."

"Who are you? Are you with the bunch of goons who kidnapped me?!" Skylara asks.

"Who I am is of no importance right now. I activate, le 'Speed World Two' field spell!" A pulse of light spreads out from the challenger's runner in an arc and the landscape around seems to get more saturated.

Duel lane signs pop up along the side of the road, a holographic barrier sections off part of the freeway. "Formulating cross-town duel course and awaiting Central Grid Authority's official authorization. Authorization has been granted." Says the computer. A combat lane emerges from the ocean perpendicular to the cliffs, streaming water off its sides. "A turbo-duel is about to commence. Combat lane transfiguration underway. All non-dueling vehicles must vacate the combat lane immediately." The computer says.

A man, with spiky brown-blonde hair, sideburns that spike in toward his cheekbones at sharp right angles, and a pair of binoculars lowers the latter, with a satisfied sort of grimace. He's sitting on a runner below and to the side of the duel lane that came out of the ocean. He puts on his helmet and starts riding.

Skylara and the mysterious rider on the white runner merge onto a runner track through a sliding door in the side of the track.

"You're gonna duel this guy?!" Asks Akiza. "Yes, I don't like it either. However, he hasn't exactly given me much of a choice!" Skylara says.

"Are you ready?"

"Let's duel!" Says both Skylara and the mystery person. Both duelists start with 4000 lifepoints.

"I can't stop to let you off, Akiza. So, hang on." Skylara says. "Don't worry about me, just concentrate on knocking this jerk into the next dimension!" Says Akiza.

"Ze first move is mine! I summon Sacred Knight Spear-Holder in defense mode!" Sacred Knight Spear-Holder has 400 defense points and is a level 2 monster. "And by placing one card face down, I defer to you, Mademoiselle Galatea."

"Well, aren't you polite! I summon Warnado in attack mode!" Skylara says. Warnado has 900 attack points and is a level 2 monster. "Due to his special ability, Warnado's attack points are doubled during the battle phase of the turn it was summoned!" Says Skylara. Warnado's improved total is 1800 attack points. "So now, Warnado! Attack Spear-Holder with Windstorm Slash!" Skylara says.

"Alas and alack, Skylara Galatea! I will reveal my trap card, 'Floral Shield'! Zis negates your monster's attack, and allows me to draw one card! Hope you like ze flowers, looks like my game is in full bloom!"

Warnado finds himself blocked by a wall of white petals. He hesitates, then attacks anyway and bounces off. The flower petals blow away and dissolve in the wind.

"I place three cards face down and end my turn. It is your move, buddy." Says Skylara.

"Merci. I summon, Horse of ze Floral Knights!" Horse of the Floral Knights has 400 attack points, 800 defense points, is a level 3 monster and is a wind type monster.

When the monster card Horse of the Floral Knights is successfully summoned to the field, you are allowed to draw one card from your deck.

"And now with the power of this card in play, my strategy shall truly begin to blossom!" Skylara's opponent adds the newly-drawn card to his hand, Fleur Synchron, along with Apprentice Knight and the trap 'For Our Dreams', and reaches for the fourth card in his hand, 'Speed Spell-Overboost'. "I activate ze 'Overboost' speed spell! Zis little zinger of a spell increases my speed counters by four for the remainder of my turn! Try to keep up, Mademoiselle Galatea!"

"He's increased his speed in just two turns!" Akiza says. "Whoever this guy is, he sure knows what he's doing. He's a real turbo-duelist." Says Skylara. Akiza looks down at her, then back up at the duel.

"Next, I activate the 'Speed Fusion' speed spell, which, because of my current speed, allows me to summon to ze field a fusion monster! By fusing Sacred Knight Spear-Holder and Horse of ze Floral Knights together, I can summon, Centaurmina!" Centaurmina has 2200 attack points and is a level 6 monster. "And now, Centaurmina, charge!" Centaurmina is a female centaur with long, hot pink hair and a brown horse's body, with a black tail. She wears an iron cuirass and carries a sword and shield, and her lower body wears ornate greaves and a back-plate.

She turns and gallops at Skylara. "I reveal my trap card, 'Demon Play, Demon Out'! This trap card can negate your monster's attack!" Skylara says.

"C'ha! But I activate Centaurmina's special ability, which forces your trap card back into ze face down position! So, I negate your negating!"

"Uh-oh." Says Skylara.

Centaurmina tramples 'Demon Play, Demon Out' underfoot as she passes.

"Vive la Revolucion, Centaurmina! Continue ze charge! Attack with Graceful Blade!"

She has circled behind Skylara's runner to ride up on Warnado. She raises her sword and slashes, Warnado is no more. Skylara's lifepoints decrease to 2700. "Agh!" Akiza says. "Are you doing alright back there, Akiza?" Asks Skylara. "Yeah." Akiza says. _"This feeling. I was scared at first, but something about the wind and the speed! I_ _'_ _ve never felt anything like it, it_ _'_ _s, it_ _'_ _s kind of amazing, this whole turbo-duel thing is a major rush!"_ Akiza thinks to herself.

"I place one card face down and end my turn. And now, 'Overboost' fades away like ze morning mist, so my speed counters decrease back to one!"

"It is my turn now! I summon Hex in attack mode!" Says Skylara. Hex has 1300 attack points and is a level 3 monster. "And that isn't all I'm busting out! Because when Hex is summoned, I can summon one level-two-or-below monster from my graveyard to join it on the field. I summon Warnado!" Skylara says. Warnado has 400 attack points and is a level 2 monster. "And now I tune my Hex with my Warnado, in order to synchro-summon, Ninjini!" Says Skylara. Hex shoots a ghostly skull from her hand and vanishes, a fireball somersaulting up into the sky and then turns into a series of three rings. Warnado flies through them, its two stars swirling around to align with the rings. Out of the burst of light appears Ninjini, a blue-skinned, elven ninja genie, with long red hair, tied into a ponytail. Ninjini's white eyes glow and she takes the field. Ninjini has 2300 attack points and is a level 5 monster. "And now, Ninjini! Take out Centaurmina! Go, Wishblades!" Says Skylara.

"Not so fast! I reveal my trap, 'Fleur Guard'! This prevents you from destroying my monster in battle!"

Centaurmina turns and catches Ninjini's katanas on her shield, the special glow shatters off of her blade.

"You may have saved her, but you are still taking damage!" Skylara says.

The mystery duelist's lifepoints decrease to 3900.

"I end my turn by placing one card face down!" Says Skylara. Akiza watches Ninjini take her place on her side of the field for the turn. _"They're perfectly anticipating each_ _others_ _moves. It's like they share a bond as duelists or something. Like they already know each other without ever having met!"_ Akiza thinks to herself. "Something isn't right here, Akiza." Skylara says. "Huh?" Asks Akiza. "This guy can't be with the goons who kidnapped me. His whole vibe is different. In fact, I think he's working all on his own." Skylara says. "Oh." Says Akiza.

"It is my turn! I summon ze Fleur Synchron tuner monster!"

"I know what this means!" Skylara says. "What is it, Skylara? Something bad?" Asks Akiza. "Look, whatever happens! Just hang on tight!" Skylara says.

"Now, it's my turn for a synchro-summon! I tune Fleur Synchron with Centaurmina, in order to bring out Fleur de Chevalier!" Centaurmina leaps through Fleur Synchron's two rings, triumphantly, and hovers, suspended. The mystery duelist's new monster is a knight in full plate armor, with a sweeping red cape and a headdress, that looks like a blooming flower. It carries a long, graceful sword and a shield with a long pole at the bottom that makes it a standard as well. Fleur de Chevalier has 2700 attack points and is a level 8 monster. "And now, since Fleur Synchron was used to perform a synchro summon, I can summon an additional monster from my 'and! Say 'allo to, Apprentice Knight!" Apprentice Knight has 1000 attack points, 1000 defense points, is a level 2 monster and is an earth monster. Apprentice Knight is a young man, thin, wiry and tough under his partial plate armor and swinging a large sword.

"My 'Demon Play, Demon Out' is still face down on my field. This guy is well aware of that. So, I don't think he shall try an outright attack with that Knight, but..." Says Skylara. She smiles and laughs a bit. "Hm. I can't wait to see what he does next." Skylara says. _"_ _I_ _s Skylara having fun?"_ Akiza thinks to herself.

"Fleur de Chevalier, attack Ninjini!"

"He must have a trick up his sleeve!" Says Skylara. _"And unless Skylara has a trick of her own, this duel is over!"_ Akiza thinks to herself. "Go, 'Demon Play, Demon Out'! This trap deflects your monster's attack!" Skylara says.

"I was hoping you would try zat again! For not only can Chevalier negate your little demon's effect, it can send it to the great flaming world under ze Earth!"

"That's-not good!" Says Akiza. "Hmhm!" Skylara says.

"Now with your little demon out of ze picture, Chevalier can vanquish Ninjini!"

With Ninjini destroyed, nothing stands between Chevalier's sword and Skylara, a bold challenge.

"En garde, Skylara Galatea!"

Skylara takes another hit, she's down to 2300 lifepoints. "Ugh, nicely played. However, now I know what surprises your Chevalier has in store." Says Skylara.

"Pardonnez-moi?"

"I activate my trap card, 'Miracle's Wake'! With this card, I can resurrect a monster that was destroyed this turn! So I'm bringing back, Ninjini!" Skylara says.

Her opponent places two cards face down. "It appears you were simply baiting me so zat you could learn my strategies! Tres bon, Mademoiselle Galatea." The mystery duelist looks over his shoulder just a moment longer, he, too, seems to be enjoying the duel.

Akiza notices this. "Huh?" Asks Akiza. "Uh." Skylara says.

Up ahead, the other rider slows down and stops, clearly inviting her to do the same.

Skylara smiles, intrigued, and starts braking with her foot. "I hope this doesn't hurt." Says Skylara. "If we stop the engine will blow!" Akiza says. Skylara glides to a stop short of their opponent, no explosion. "When do we blow up?" Asks Akiza. "Heh. We don't." Skylara says. She then calls to the other duelist. "So, what is with the bluff? Who are you?" Asks Skylara.

The duelist reaches up and pulls off that faceless helmet. Long, blonde tresses burst from beneath the helmet, their owner is a woman, with daring green eyes. Free of the helmet, they can now properly hear the higher pitch of her voice and she still speaks with a French accent, at the moment slightly taunting. "My name is Sherry LeBlanc, and I wanted to test your courage under fire."

"You're a woman turbo-duelist?" Akiza asks. "Why not? I am myself." Says Skylara.

"You have passed ze test. I shall dispense with ze games and tell you ze true nature of my intentions. I 'ave sought you out so zat I might steal you for my own! Hmhmhm." Sherry says.


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter 8: French Twist: Part 2_

Mid-day on a dueling track somewhere over the oceans of New Domino. The duelist who has just unmasked and declared herself Sherry LeBlanc sits astride her duel runner.

Opposite of Skylara and Akiza, both sitting astride the former's runner. "You 'came to steal me'? What does that mean?" Skylara asks, darkly.

"Like those vicious brutes who abducted you, I want you on my team. You and I will ride together in ze World Grand Prix and win it all!" Says Sherry.

"Oh, is that so?" Skylara asks.

"I am not asking you to answer me today. Zis is a sort of meet-and-greet. Let us have fun." Says Sherry. She puts her helmet back on, but now she's readjusted it and her face can be seen clearly. Sherry turns and keeps riding.

"You are on!" Skylara says. She then turns to Akiza. "So, are you up for finishing this duel?" Asks Skylara. "You'd better believe it. I've never seen a turbo-duel from this point of view, I wanna see how it ends! That, and I don't trust this girl, and if she tries to pull something, I wanna be there to help! So, let's move it!" Akiza says. "Alright then. Just hang on tight!" Says Skylara. She takes off once again, riding after Sherry.

"Let us continue our duel!" Sherry says.

"It is my move! I summon the tuner monster, Wrecking Ball! And now, I shall tune him with my Ninjini in order to synchro-summon, Whirlwind!" Says Skylara. Ninjini then hovers within Wrecking Ball's single ring. Whirlwind has 2500 attack points and is a level 6 monster. "However, before attacking! I am going to activate my Whirlwind's special ability, which will slash the twenty-seven-hundred attack points of your Fleur de Chevalier in half, because your monster's level is greater than six!" Skylara says.

Fleur de Chevalier's new total is 1350 attack points.

 _"Amazing! She just turned the advantage of having a high-level monster into a disadvantage!"_ Akiza thinks to herself. "Now, Whirlwind! Attack!" Says Skylara.

"Ugh!" Sherry says. Her lifepoints are down to 2750.

"Why wasn't it destroyed?!" Asks Akiza.

"Because it is protected by ze trap 'For Our Dreams'! By sending one monster on my field to ze graveyard, I can spare another monster its inevitable destruction!" Sherry says.

"Rrrghh!" Skylara growls under her breath.

"And, since Fleur de Chevalier 'as emerged from ze battle unscathed, she regains her full strength!" Says Sherry.

 _"Now she has the power to take out Whirlwind on her next turn! Unless…"_ Akiza thinks to herself. She looks down at Skylara, expectantly. "I reveal my trap, 'Synchro Out'! Now, I can de-tune my synchro monster and bring Ninjini and Wrecking Ball back to the field until my End Phase!" Skylara says. _"But why do that?! Her Chevalier could wipe the walls and scrub the floor with both of those guys!"_ Akiza thinks to herself.

 _"It seems Skylara's committed quite ze faux pas. Unless, of course that_ _face down_ _card happens to be_ _'_ _Urgent Tuning_ _'_ _! And if my hunch is correct, then you could use that card to resurrect Whirlwind, so that it can attack my Fleur de Chevalier again! But then my Chevalier's special ability would activate and negate ze effect of your trap card, and destroy it. I, however, believe that one with your knowledge would know zat!_ _S_ _o, there must be something else. Something very clever!"_ Sherry thinks to herself.

"Talk to me. What is your strategy here? Well?!" Asks Akiza. "Sherry, you can use Chevalier's ability once per turn! Are you going to do it?" Skylara asks.

"And prevent you from getting rid of Whirlwind? Now, why would I go and do something as foolish as zat! No, Skylara Galatea! I want to see what it is you are hoping to accomplish! Adieu, Whirlwind!" Says Sherry.

"Well then, I shall show you by summoning Wrecking Ball and Ninjini! And with them on the field, I reveal the 'Urgent Tuning' trap card!" Skylara says.

"Magnifique! That was what I was waiting for! With Chevalier's special ability, I can prevent your tuning and obliterate your trap card! Now you are without traps, Skylara Galatea! But I imagine you expected zis would happen, and so you prepared yourself with a spell, which is why I am now at zis point revealing my trap card 'Chain Close'! Zis card will prevent you from activating whatever spell you may have been planning on using!" Says Sherry.

 _"She just shut Skylara down completely! With no traps and no spells, there's nothing stopping her from using Fleur de Chevalier to take out one of her monsters on her next turn!"_ Akiza thinks to herself. "You are right, Sherry! I did prepare myself with a spell! However, I also prepared for your trap!" Skylara says.

"Uh!" Says Sherry.

"I'm going to attack Fleur de Chevalier with Wrecking Ball!" Skylara says. "N'ahh!" Says Akiza.

"But it won't win, it doesn't have enough attack points!" Sherry says.

"Then, I shall activate his special ability and force your Chevalier into defense mode!" Says Skylara.

Fleur de Chevalier's defense points are 2300. "Zat does nothing for you! Zat little creature has no hope of crashing through Fleur de Chevalier's defense and with defeat comes damage!" Sherry says.

Wrecking Ball attacks Chevalier and bounces off. Skylara winces, slightly, as her lifepoints fall all the way to 100. Skylara's hanging on by a thread. Akiza looks down at Skylara, concerned, then spots the lifepoint counter on her screen. "Only a hundred lifepoints left! Skylara, d'you realize what you just did?!" Asks Akiza. She gasps. Skylara is still smiling. Akiza can hardly believe her eyes, feeling forlorn, on the outside looking in on something she can't understand. "Skylara?" Akiza asks.

"You only have one hundred lifepoints remaining, Skylara Galatea! What will you do?" Asks Sherry.

"I activate my Wrecking Ball's ability! You see, when he attacks and loses, his ability lets me summon a monster from my hand, as long as its attack points aren't greater than the damage I took." Skylara says.

"Hm!" Says Sherry.

"So, I am summoning, Stealth Elf! And now I activate Stealth Elf's special ability. This forces me to remove a trap card in my graveyard from play entirely. However, in doing so, it lets me activate it! See, I had a feeling you would send 'Urgent Tuning' to the graveyard when you had the chance!" Skylara says.

"Nice move!" Says Sherry.

"Oh yeah? If you thought that was nice, then this next move is totally gonna blow you away!" Akiza says. "That is right, Sherry! Now, I tune Ninjini with my Wrecking Ball, in order to synchro-summon, Whirlwind!" Says Skylara. Again Ninjini's five stars align within Wrecking Ball's single ring. Whirlwind reappears, even mightier than before, ready for battle.

"So much sacrifice for one monster! It seems you're not afraid of flying too close to ze sun! Hmhmhm." Sherry says.

"Go, Whirlwind! Take out Sherry's Fleur de Chevalier!" Says Skylara. It does. "It is your move." Skylara says.

Sherry grins over her shoulder.

 _"Skylara's so close to losing, but she seems to be having fun! And her! The way she duels with her is different than the way she duels with me. It's like when she duels Yusei, Jack and Crow. She's full of spirit, she's dueling from the heart. Why isn't she like that with me?"_ Akiza thinks to herself.

The two runners zoom under a bridge overpass, Sherry ahead and Skylara not far behind.

"You may have vanquished Fleur de Chevalier, but in order to do so you drove yourself to the brink of defeat where you are now hanging on by a thread! With 'Speed World Two' in play, as long as I 'ave four or more speed counters, I can deal eight hundred points of damage for every speed spell in my hand. And, as it so happens. Hmhmhmhmhm! I currently have four speed counters, but no cards in my hand. So, your fate today depends on my next draw! Should I draw a speed spell from my hand, it will be all over for you!" Says Sherry.

"Mm." Skylara says.

"But zis is what you live for, is it not? You feel most alive when you're at ze edge! Yet somewhere in your heart, you know that such recklessness will be your undoing one day!" Says Sherry.

Skylara frowns, but doesn't answer. _"How does she know what's in her heart?! I guess as turbo-duelists they understand each other. The speed, the wind, the rush._ _I_ _t must create a bond between duelists that I've never really known."_ Akiza thinks to herself.

"Let us see if you will fall from your edge! I draw my card!" Sherry says.

Skylara and Akiza are watching her. Akiza's worried, while Skylara is poker-faced.

"I summon Sacred Knight Shield-Bearer in defense mode!" Says Sherry.

Akiza breathes a sigh of relief. _"She didn't draw a speed spell."_ Akiza thinks to herself.

"Next, I activate Shield-Bearer's special ability! By removing one Sacred Knight card from my graveyard, I am able to draw another card from my deck!" Sherry says.

"So, she gets to draw again?!" Asks Akiza.

"Hahahahahaha!" Sherry laughs. She draws again.

Skylara and Akiza are watching Sherry, intently.

"I place one card face down, and end my turn!" Sherry says.

Akiza sighs again, with relief.

"I had two chances, but fate was on your side both times. Hehehuhuhuhuh! I simply must have you on my team!" Says Sherry.

Skylara again doesn't respond.

"Tell me, Skylara Galatea! What is it you are dueling for? Why are you entering ze World Racing Grand Prix with your friends and your brother?" Sherry asks.

"I don't know. I mean, why do mountain-climbers climb mountains? It is because they are there, isn't that what they say?" Asks Skylara.

"So in other words, you have no reason! There is nothing driving you but thrill, ambition, perhaps beaux dames?" Sherry asks.

"So tell me, what are you driven by?" Asks Skylara.

"If you must know, Mademoiselle Galatea! I am driven by my hunger for revenge! And I will stop at nothing until I have finally achieved it!" Sherry says.

"So, Sherry! You are out for revenge? Against who?" Asks Skylara.

"I will tell you." Sherry says.

Flashback. The ornate family crest on the gate is embossed in gold or bronze. It swings open revealing the palatial estate behind it, including the same crest carved in stone or marble on the gable of the central wing's pointed roof. "I was born into ze LeBlanc family. My parents were extremely wealthy, my father the head of a card company he inherited from his father. My childhood was a happy one. Winters in ze mountains, summers at our estate in the country..." Says Sherry, in voice-over. Enter the house through the front doors, past two bowing, matching doormen, through the spacious hall and through another set of double doors, past two bowing, matching maids, and through another set of double doors to find the LeBlanc family sitting in an elegantly-decorated parlor. Sherry's mother sits perched on one side of the couch, primly, knitting. Sherry's father holds his young daughter in his arms, in this flashback, Sherry herself is perhaps no older than seven, and giggling all over. "Horseback riding lessons, piano lessons, croquet games and cool afternoons. And my parents, zey were carefree and kind!" Sherry says, in voice-over. Monsieur LeBlanc has an angular black hair and beard style that conveys a certain dashing flair, as well as affluence, over more conventional business attire he wears a golden-yellow-edged black coat, in the style of old-fashioned and fancy military uniforms. Madame LeBlanc wears a strapless afternoon gown, in vivid green and white, her thick, wavy hair is the color of wheat, and her kind eyes are green. She looks up from her knitting, with a smile. "But things started to change." Says Sherry, in voice-over.

Change flashback. Later, perhaps that same afternoon, around a corner into an office. Monsieur LeBlanc is in the middle of a heated phone conversation, with Madame LeBlanc standing by watching, anxiously. "No! You listen to me! You're never getting my company! We are not selling! And if you ever threaten me and my family again, things are going to get really ugly!" Monsieur LeBlanc says, angrily. He slams down the phone.

Neither of her parents notices young Sherry watching from the doorway, and she looks to be on the verge of tears.

Madame LeBlanc closes the distance between them, anxiously. Monsieur LeBlanc turns around and puts a hand to his forehead, tense and worried. "You don't think zey'd really hurt us, do you?!" Asks Madame LeBlanc.

Then both of them gasp, having noticed young Sherry, and try to smile. Young Sherry lights up and runs to her father's arms, he picks her up and holds her close, carrying her around to the other side of the desk. "My parents tried to shield me from all zat was going on. One afternoon, my father gave me ze most adorable little teddy bear." Sherry says, in voice-over. Monsieur LeBlanc opens a desk drawer and takes the teddy bear out of it, little Sherry loves it. The teddy bear is very adorable and fuzzy. "And zen, zat night." Says Sherry, in voice-over.

Change flashback. Young Sherry picks up her new teddy bear from her pillow and hurries to the door of her bedroom, in her nightgown, hearing the sounds of a struggle. "I was torn out of my sleep by noises, screaming, shouting! Frightened, I went to my parents' room." Sherry says, in voice-over. Young Sherry peeks through the door and gasps, now wide awake. Young Sherry backs up from the door, eyes wide, in horror. "The room was a mess, things thrown everywhere! My parents were nowhere to be seen." Says Sherry, in voice-over. She backs up right into a tall man in the black suit of a butler. Young Sherry looks up, momentarily frightened, then sees who it is. Young Sherry starts crying, but he kneels down and puts a hand over her mouth, and a finger to his lips, urging her to be silent. "Our butler, Ellsworth. Found me, told me not to be scared. Together, we fled the estate." Sherry says, in voice-over. Ellsworth swoops the tiny girl up in his arms and runs down the hall, as she starts crying again.

Change flashback. Later, Ellsworth pulls aside a thick drapery, cautiously, and peers out a window around the back of a neon sign, they're somewhere far off the beaten path, hopefully under the radar. Ellsworth looks back inside, little Sherry is sitting on the plain bed in the hotel room, holding her teddy bear close and crying her eyes out. "Ellsworth explained the situation to me. A corporation had been trying to purchase my father's business. When my father refused, strange men began coming around, making threats." Says Sherry, in voice-over. Ellsworth takes the single red flower from the vase on top of the chest of drawers and offers it to the little girl. Young Sherry's still crying too hard to notice. Ellsworth takes the teddy bear, gently, and puts the flower under its arm, as though it's holding the flower. "And zen, he told me we could never again return to ze estate. I was just a child at ze time, I understood so little of what was going on!" Sherry says, in voice-over. Little Sherry stops crying at the sight of the teddy bear, with the flower, surprised and touched. Young Sherry hugs the teddy bear with all her might and starts crying again. Ellsworth watches her cry, somberly. It falls to him to protect this innocent little girl from harm, and unlike her, he knows exactly what danger she is in. "Ellsworth explained that we had to keep moving, zat ze people who had come for my parents would be looking for me!" Says Sherry, in voice-over.

Change flashback. And so they traveled, a tall, burly man holding the hand of a little blonde girl, in a pink hoodie and carrying a teddy bear. A map traces their journey, from southern France to just west of London, across the Atlantic to Nova Scotia, then the heart of Quebec, then the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg, then somewhere in Utah or Nevada, then the coast of Oregon, then Hawaii, then far across the Pacific to Japan. "And so we journeyed from country to country, city to city, relentlessly pursued by ze monsters who had taken my parents from me! Along ze way, I learned zat ze corporation was just a front!" Sherry says, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Ze real organization pursuing me is known as, Yliaster!" Says Sherry.

"Yliaster?! I think I heard that name from my father, Roman Goodwin!" Skylara says. "Sayer used to tell me about them. He'd say they were evil and out to destroy the Arcadia Movement." Says Akiza.

"From what little I have gathered, they are a secret society with wild ideas about ze universe. Zey operate from ze shadows, and zey will do anything to get rid of those who stand in their way." Sherry says. She is now anguished. "Which is why zey came for my family!" Says Sherry.

"I am so sorry, Sherry." Skylara says. Akiza is speechless, sympathetic.

"Eventually, I discovered ze real reason they are so desperate to find me." Says Sherry.

Flashback. One dark night, hidden in a hotel room somewhere between France and Japan. Ellsworth unzips the back of the teddy bear and pulls out a small, rectangular object. It may very well be a card, but might also be a computer chip of some kind. "In the teddy bear my father gave me, he hid something." Sherry says, in voice-over. Little Sherry, sitting next to Ellsworth, gasps, wide-eyed, at the sight of it. "What was it?" Asks Akiza, in voice-over. "Until I am certain I can trust you, zat will remain my secret!" Sherry says, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "I want you to help me, Skylara Galatea. Yliaster is pulling the strings behind ze upcoming World Racing Grand Prix!" Says Sherry.

"Wait, are you sure?" Skylara asks.

"Oui. Zis is why I want more than anything to win, to get closer to zem! Even more than revenge, I need answers, Skylara Galatea! I must know what Yliaster did with my parents and what zey're planning to do! I must win this race and I know I can do so with you on my team!" Says Sherry.

"Skylara's already got teammates, Frenchy! She's racing with her friends and her brother! She's not just gonna…" Akiza says.

"No one is talking to you!" Says Sherry, coldly.

"Hang on a sec! First of all, you don't know the first thing about Skylara!" Akiza says.

"I know plenty." Says Sherry.

"Ah?!" Akiza asks.

Sherry's visor reflects the futuristic buildings of New Domino ahead of them. "In just a few turns, we 'ave come to know each others spirits. As turbo-duelists, we have come to understand the winds that stir us from within! During the Grand Prix, I will be riding full-throttle on ze cutting edge with everything to lose and everything to gain! Is zat not ze kind of duel you want in on, Skylara Galatea?! If you race with me, you will find ze drive you seek." Says Sherry.

"Look, I..." Skylara says.

"I do not require an answer at zis point in time. Just think it over. It is your turn now, non?" Asks Sherry.

"Hmm." Skylara says.

"Make your move!" Says Sherry.

Akiza watches, tensely, still worried. "Alright then! Let's finish this! I activate the effect of the 'Speed World Two' field spell! By removing seven of my speed counters, I can draw another card! I summon the Drill Sergeant tuner monster in attack mode!" Skylara says. Drill Sergeant has 800 attack points, 300 defense points, is a level 3 monster and is a rare tech type monster. "And now, Whirlwind! Take out Sacred Knight Shield-Bearer!" Says Skylara. Whirlwind destroys Shield-Bearer. "Time to drill this maneuver home! Even though Shield-Bearer was in defense mode, Drill Sergeant can drive forward and deal the point difference to you as damage!" Skylara says.

"U-ugh!" Says Sherry. She's down to 1550 lifepoints now.

"And when you take damage from Drill Sergeant's special ability, I can draw another card from my deck!" Skylara says.

"I'm revealing the 'Freedom Release' trap card!" Says Sherry.

When a monster on your field is destroyed in battle, the trap 'Freedom Release' returns all monsters on the field to their owners' decks.

"Now your monsters must abandon you, leaving you to fend for yourself! Something I promise will never happen if you join my team, Skylara!" Sherry says.

"Thank you. However, I won't be alone for long." Says Skylara. She places two face downs. _"How can Skylara be so confident? Her field's wide-open. If she draws a speed spell or monster on the next turn she's done-for!"_ Akiza thinks to herself. She looks down at Skylara, she can only see the back of her helmet and her long, wavy, raven black, red gradated hair blowing in the wind. _"Unless, those_ _face downs_ _are game-changers."_ Akiza thinks to herself.

"Heheheheh! It is my turn now! I summon Sacred Knight Jeanne in attack mode!" Sherry says.

 _"This is it!"_ Akiza thinks to herself.

"Unfortunately, Sacred Knight Jeanne must sacrifice three hundred attack points in order to attack. But that isn't going to stop her! Sacred Knight Jeanne, take 'er out!" Says Sherry. She goes into a daring sideways skid, as Sacred Knight Jeanne raises her ornate sword and lunges forward, slashing.

"I reveal my 'Synchro Spirits' trap card! Now, if I remove a synchro monster in my graveyard from play, I can bring back the monsters I tuned to summon it! So by removing Ninjini, I can summon Hex and Warnado in defense mode!" Skylara says. Sacred Knight Jeanne destroys Hex.

"An interesting twist! I wonder what's next? I cannot wait! It's your move!" Says Sherry.

 _"I've never experienced a duel like this! The speed of their attacks, their defenses, and the way they just go back and forth, perfectly anticipating each other, constantly_ _out thinking_ _each other! Is what Sherry said true? Do turbo-duelists get each other in ways that other duelists don't? Does she really already know and understand things about Skylara that I can't because I'm not a turbo-duelist? And the others..."_ Akiza thinks to herself.

Vision. Akiza envisions each of these people as she names them. _"Trudge… Kalin… Yusei… Jack… Crow…"_ Akiza thinks to herself, in voice-over. The vision ends.

Back to the present. _"Are they all connected by something I'll never be a part of?"_ Akiza thinks to herself. "It is my move! And from my hand, I activate the 'High Speed Crash' speed spell! With two speed counters, I can use this spell to send one card on my field crashing into any other card in order to destroy them both!" Skylara says.

"So, you're looking to sacrifice your face down card in order to vanquish Jeanne!" Says Sherry. _"However, due to Jeanne's special ability, when she is destroyed I can move one spell card from my graveyard to my hand!_ _A_ _speed spell!"_ Sherry thinks to herself.

"I destroy my face down card along with my Warnado!" Skylara says.

"You are destroying your own monster?!" Asks Sherry.

"I sure am, but not before activating the 'Twilight Road' trap!" Skylara says.

"Ça n'mettais pas!" Says Sherry.

"I shall assume that means you are not too happy, since my 'Twilight Road's' effect saves my Warnado, and allows me to summon Cynder the Black Dragon!" Skylara says.

"Nnngh." Says Sherry. Then she looks ahead. "Ah!" Sherry says.

A truck crashes through the side of the freeway over the dueling track ahead, falling straight toward Sherry.

"Watch out!" Says both Skylara and Akiza.

The large truck that just crashed through the side of the freeway that passes over the duel track keeps falling toward Sherry.

"Oh no!" Akiza says. "Sherry!" Says Skylara.

"Ugh!" Sherry says.

Standing on the edge of the freeway watching are the guy who saw Skylara kidnapped and his three masked thugs. "Hello again! I told you I wasn't a well-balanced person, and that it would not be smart to mess around with me! Hahahahaha!"

Sherry glares up at him, furious and even slightly afraid.

Skylara looks worried. Akiza leans over Skylara a little more than she already was. "Leave this to me! Gimme!" Says Akiza. Without waiting for permission, she grabs Cynder the Black Dragon out of Skylara's hand. "Whoa, hang on! What are you doing, we need to…" Skylara says. "I'm gonna summon this monster!" Says Akiza. "What?!" Skylara asks. _"This is the only way!"_ Akiza thinks to herself. She takes a moment more, gathering herself. "Come forth, Cynder the Black Dragon!" Says Akiza. Cynder the Black Dragon has 2900 attack points, 2000 defense points, is a level 8 monster and is a dark type monster. Cynder takes the sky, shrieking, and soars toward the falling truck.

Sherry winces, preparing to be crushed, but Cynder swoops in above her head and catches the truck on her back, shielding her, that monster is no hologram. Sherry races past underneath. "You are a psychic duelist?!" Sherry asks. Cynder lets the truck fall onto the track, now that the danger has passed.

Both runner screens show X's and caution signs. "Emergency. Duel mode disengaged." Says the computer.

Skylara groans, with frustration.

Sherry looks equally annoyed.

Probably due to the track damage, their duel has been remotely shut down by New Domino's turbo-duel safety measures.

Up on the freeway. The kidnapper and his thugs turn to make an exit. "Drat!"

Then they discover that they aren't alone up there. Ellsworth is blocking their path and he looks mad. One of them addresses him. "Move it!" In response, Ellsworth cracks his knuckles. The thugs cling to their boss, terrified. The kidnapper himself is biting his lips together. "Hmph. Oh I'll move it, all right!" Ellsworth says. And all four of them get knocked out, soundly. Ellsworth straightens his bowtie and walks over to the edge, calmly.

Sherry and Skylara are halted down on the track below.

Ellsworth turns and walks away.

Down on the track. "Sherry, are you alright?" Asks Skylara.

"I am... thanks to you... friend. Huh?" Sherry asks.

Another runner joins them on the track. Ellsworth's duel runner looks like the very mechanical embodiment of the office of butler. "Did you take care of those thugs, Ellsworth?" Asks Sherry. "But of course. So, this is Skylara." Ellsworth says. He takes a moment to scrutinize this new acquaintance. "A pleasure to finally meet you." Says Ellsworth. "Well, Skylara Galatea. Had our duel continued on its proper course..." Sherry says, tauntingly.

Vision. The duel plays out, as Sherry describes. "I imagine Cynder the Black Dragon would have vanquished Sacred Knight Jeanne, and zen Warnado would have attacked me, directly." Says Sherry, in voice-over. Warnado attacks, and her lifepoints fall to 50. The vision ends.

Back to the present. "But zat would have left me with fifty lifepoints, and another opportunity to defeat you." Sherry says.

"Yes, that is right. And so the whole thing would have come down to your next draw." Says Skylara.

"Hm!" Sherry says. She goes to draw the card in question, then pauses, and throws Skylara a salute instead. "I won't draw. Perhaps, on another day. There is a long road ahead, mon ami." Says Sherry. She revs her engine. "Until next time, Skylara Galatea." Sherry says. She then turns to Akiza. "And you. I am in your debt." Says Sherry.

Akiza, standing next to Skylara and her runner, with her helmet under one arm, reacts with surprise.

Sherry smiles. "I hope to ride against you one day. Or with you!" Sherry says. She winks.

Akiza gasps, entirely off-balanced.

"Au revoir, et salud!" Says Sherry. She rides away.

Ellsworth follows after her.

Akiza watches them go. _"That duel was incredible! I want more. I want to be a part of what they're already a part of. I wanna become a turbo-duelist!"_ Akiza thinks to herself. And there stand her and Skylara. Skylara is still sitting astride her runner, while Akiza is standing to one side, with her helmet under one arm, watching Sherry and Ellsworth ride away. The breeze brushes the track in front of them, and the truck that crashed into the track is in flames and billowing smoke a distance behind. Skylara climbs off of her runner and removes her helmet, still watching them go. _"That Sherry got me thinking."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

Flashback. "Tell me, Skylara Galatea! What is it you are dueling for?!" Sherry asks. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. _"What am I dueling for? I think it_ _i_ _s time I try and find out!"_ Skylara thinks to herself.


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter 9: Synchro Straits_

A dark turbo-dueling track, somewhere among New Domino's faceless, glittering buildings.

Skylara careens around a corner, flanked by Terrafin and Warnado, both in attack mode.

An opponent races around the corner, right on her heels.

Skylara's two face downs, 'Demon Play, Demon Out' and 'Urgent Tuning', flip over and shatter, destroyed. "Ugh!" Skylara says.

"And just like that, your monster is wide-open! Now, Tiger Dragon! Attack that Warnado!" Skylara's opponent's big, fierce, tiger-striped dragon breathes fire and destroys Warnado.

Skylara's lifepoints fall from 1800 to 300, dramatically.

"I have you on the very brink of defeat, Skylara! I place one card face down and end my turn!"

 _"I have three hundred lifepoints left and a twenty-four-hundred-attack-point Tiger Dragon left to take down! I'm going to need all the help I can get here!"_ Skylara thinks to herself. "It is my draw! Come out, Erupter!" Says Skylara. Eruptor has 1000 attack points, is a level 4 monster and is a fire type monster.

"What, a tuner monster?!"

"That is right! And when Eruptor is successfully summoned onto the field, I can summon another monster from my graveyard that has five hundred or fewer attack points! And that monster is Sonic Boom! Now, level-four Eruptor tunes with level-three Terrafin and Sonic Boom, to create a creature that has the elements of the cosmos coursing through her veins! I synchro-summon, Cynder the Black Dragon!" Skylara says. Cynder the Black Dragon has 2900 attack points and is a level 8 monster.

"Heh! Hmhmhmhm! Just as I had hoped!" Then Skylara's opponent starts changing, morphing into someone else, spontaneously.

"What?" Asks Skylara.

Soon, instead of a random any-duelist, she's facing someone from her past. "Galaxia?! But, I thought you were…" Skylara says.

"Well, you thought wrong." Says Galaxia. And the five pieces of Space Warrior Chaos are already hovering above. They begin to transform, arms and legs unfold, pieces snap together, then the robotic body is crowned with its head, features glowing red against black.

"Her ultimate monster!" Skylara says.

"That is right, Space Warrior Chaos. And once per turn, she can absorb a synchro monster on your field! A synchro monster like that dragon!" Says Galaxia.

And just as it happened before, shining red threads explode from Chaos's chest and wrap around Cynder the Black Dragon, binding her neck and limbs, dragging her in. Cynder screams, fighting against it, futilely.

"Cynder the Black Dragon!" Skylara says.

"Was zat ze best you could do, Skylara?" Asks Sherry.

Skylara gasps, ahead of her, larger than life and looming over the duel, stands Sherry LeBlanc, her arms folded, in disappointment.

"It's true you're a good duelist! But 'good', isn't quite enough for people like us, is it? No, we crave more and if you battle beside me, you just might find what you are looking for!" Sherry says, her voice echoing.

"Sherry!" Says Skylara. She turns.

Cynder shrieks one last time, halfway into Chaos's chest. It glows brightly and is gone.

Sherry looks on.

"Cynder, no!" Skylara says, crying out.

And her eyes fly open. Skylara is lying in bed, it was just a nightmare. Skylara catches her breath and sits up. She moves the covers off of herself and sits herself on the side of the bed. Skylara's sleepwear consists of a black, long-sleeved, short-skirted yukata, with white edging, over a purple undershirt. A black obi is wrapped around her waist and tied, with a black and white string, and she also wears black tights, that gradate to purple at her ankles. Skylara glances back over her shoulder at Jack, who's still very much asleep, lying on his side of the bed, unaware of anything. Skylara then turns away from the sleeping Jack and looks down at her hands resting in her lap, sadly. _"It was just a dream, but what does it mean?!"_ Skylara thinks to herself.

Morning on the plaza where Skylara, Yusei, Jack and Crow live. A few birds are bathing in the fountain outside. "What?!" Asks Jack, yelling. The birds all scatter. "You want to duel me?!" Jack asks, yelling.

Inside. They're standing in the main garage.

Jack's at the top of a flight of stairs that probably leads to his and Skylara's room.

Crow has walked over to Skylara, who is sitting on her usual throne-styled chair.

Yusei's standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Mmm-hmm." Says Yusei.

Crow was apparently interrupted stacking Clucker's boxes toward the door. "Wait, but why wouldja wanna do that, Yusei? We're all on the same team!" Crow says.

"Right, so why not take advantage of each other?" Asks Yusei.

Crow gives him a weird look.

"I need to find a new way of battling that doesn't involve summoning synchro monsters." Yusei says.

"No synchros? But why?" Asks Jack.

"'Cause of the Ghost. Remember when I dueled him?" Yusei asks.

"Sure, but ya won." Says Crow. Then he gasps.

Flashback. Stardust screams, a heart-rending sound of pain and fear, and vanishes into Machine Emperor Wisel's chest. "Oh wait, you barely won. That Wisel's special ability!" Crow says, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "It seals away synchros." Says Skylara.

"That's right, it was pure luck that Majestic Dragon was able to save me." Yusei says.

Flashback. Majestic Star Dragon swoops in and takes Wisel's head off. It explodes from that point, smoke and debris raining down on the Ghost. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "But if another duelist like the Ghost appears, I may not be lucky again. Which is the reason why, you and I need to duel! So that I can prepare for that day." Says Yusei.

"I see." Crow says.

Jack vaults over the stair railing and lands on the floor. Jack turns, and he and Yusei are feet apart, glaring at each other like rivals. "You're on, Yusei! Synchros are fine, but if you wanna duel!" Says Jack. "Okay." Yusei says.

Skylara gets up from her throne-styled chair, while Crow sets down his box, gleefully. "Well, then let's do it!" Says Crow.

The vista from one of New Domino's many bridges, across all of the rest of them, is quite beautiful.

Yusei, Jack, Skylara and Crow, each astride their respective duel runners, ride this highway.

"This should be interesting." Skylara says.

"Yusei counts on his synchros, I wonder how he'll change his game plan?" Asks Crow.

"I'm ready when you are." Jack says.

"Go!" Says Yusei.

"Activating field spell, 'Speed World Two'!" Both Yusei and Jack say. Both of them press their duel mode buttons at the same time and the field spell flashes across their screens. According to both screens, it's 10:23 A.M. and they're traveling at about 120 kilometers per hour.

"Duel mode engaged. Autopilot activated. A turbo-duel is about to commence. All non-dueling vehicles must vacate the combat lane immediately. Formulating cross-town duel course, and awaiting Central Grid Authority's official authorization. Authorization has been granted." Says the computer.

"Then let's rev it up!" Yusei says.

"Right!" Says Jack.

Ahead, a lone figure in an odd jumpsuit and pink visor walks to the edge of the road, observing the duel from a distance.

Jack and Yusei race along one of New Domino's bridges.

 _"Ghost was able to neutralize my synchro monsters when I summoned them. I wonder if there's a way to put their power to use, but without putting them in harm's way."_ Yusei thinks to himself. "Let's do this! First, I summon Shield Wing in defense mode! Then, I'll place one card face down and end my turn!" Yusei says.

Jack looks over his shoulder at him, clearly unimpressed to the point of annoyance. "It'll take more than defense to beat me. Especially, when it's a defense as pathetic as the one you just mounted! My turn now! And first, I'll summon Twin-Sword Marauder! He's got twin swords because when Marauder attacks a monster in defense mode, he gets to wage an extra assault. Now go, Twin-Sword Marauder! Attack Shield Wing!" Says Jack.

Twin-Sword Marauder collides with Shield Wing midair and bolts of energy radiate from the strike.

"Shame on you, Jack. You should know that Shield Wing can withstand two attacks per turn." Yusei says.

"And you should know that since Marauder's attack points are greater than Shield Wing's defense points, you take the difference as damage!" Says Jack.

"Uggghh!" Yusei says. His lifepoints are already down to 3300.

Jack turns around and is now riding backwards, directing his assault, with fearless precision. "That's one attack, and here comes number two! Hope keeping your monster alive was worth it! Hit 'im again, Marauder!" Says Jack.

"Hang tough, Shield Wing!" Yusei says.

"Oh, he may hang tough, but your lifepoints sure won't!" Says Jack.

"Ugghhh!" Yusei says. After the second blow, his lifepoints fall again to 2600.

Jack swivels around to ride forward again.

"Wow, it'll be tough for Yusei to come back from that!" Says Crow.

"Yes it will, Crow! Especially since this card is now automatically summoned because the warrior-type monster on my field failed to destroy a monster during battle! Come forth, Sword Master!" Jack says.

The card Sword Master is a level-three warrior-type monster with twelve hundred attack points and zero defense points.

"Your Shield Wing may be able to withstand two attacks, but as they say the third time's the charm! Actually, make that harm!" Says Jack.

And Sword Master slashes Shield Wing to pieces.

"And once again you take the point difference as damage." Jack says.

Now Yusei's down to 2300.

"Whoa, this is turning into a blowout!" Says Crow.

High above the duel lane the three guys and Skylara are riding in, they are still being watched by the stranger with the pink visor and the strange jumpsuit. As he watches them pass, a sharp, intense eye can be seen through the visor.

Skylara soon starts to feel a strange feeling in her thoughts, as if someone or something is trying to either tell or warn her about something. Skylara then brings her focus back to the duel.

"There, I'm through. Your move, Yusei! If you dare!" Jack says.

"Oh, I dare! For my first move, I summon Junk Synchron in defense mode!" Says Yusei.

"A tuner monster?!" Crow asks.

"And since Junk Synchron's been summoned, I can now bring back from my grave to the field a level-two-or-below monster in defense mode. And the monster I'm summoning back is Shield Wing!" Says Yusei.

"A level-three tuner monster and a level-two monster. Usually, there would be no doubt, Yusei would go ahead and synchro-summon Junk Warrior. However, since he swore off synchro-summoning, it is anyone's guess!" Skylara says.

"And now 'cause I have two monsters out in defense mode, I can summon forth this card from my hand! Backup Warrior! Then I'll play a trap, 'Synchro Deception'! Ya see, when the monsters needed to synchro-summon are gathered on the field, by sending Junk Warrior from my extra deck to the graveyard, Backup Warrior's attack points increase by half of Junk Warrior's attack points! In other words, Jack! Backup Warrior's strength now goes up by eleven-hundred and fifty points!" Says Yusei. Backup Warrior's new total is 3250. "Now go, Backup Warrior! Take out that Sword Master! Rapid Blast Barrage!" Yusei says.

Backup Warrior destroys Sword Master, Jack's lifepoints plummet to 1950. "Ugh!" Says Jack.

"I end my turn." Yusei says. Backup Warrior's attack points return to their original 2100.

"Interesting. So instead of summoning a synchro monster, you used its components to increase another monster's attack points. Guess that's one way to keep them in the battle, but off the battlefront. However, in my opinion, it's quite a cowardly way, Yusei! My turn! First I summon Dark Bug from my hand! And I can assure you he's gonna bug you, because when he's successfully summoned I'm then allowed to summon one tuner monster from my grave! Return to battle, Sword Master! And now I'll tune my level-three Sword Master with the level-one Dark Bug and level-four Twin-Sword Marauder to do what you should've never questioned doing, Yusei! I'm going to bring out the ultimate, the all-powerful, the Red Dragon Archfiend in a synchro-summon! Now then, here's where I prove that you're wrong about synchros, Yusei! Go, Red Dragon Archfiend! Attack Backup Warrior!" Says Jack.

Archfiend blasts Yusei, big cloud of fire, brimstone and dark smoke. "Aaaaagggghhhh!" Yusei's down to 1400 lifepoints.

"Yes!" Jack says. He swerves around sideways and brakes.

Yusei halts also, still winded.

Crow and Skylara brake beside Yusei. Crow at his left, Skylara at his right. "Jack?" Asks Crow.

Jack presses a button on his runner. "Duel mode disengaged." The computer says. Archfiend evaporates. "This duel's over." Says Jack. He rides over and stops beside Skylara. "We both know how it's going to end, there's no point going any further." Jack says. Yusei stops breathing heavily, but doesn't answer. "D'you understand now, Yusei? Synchro monsters may not be perfect, but they're still the best weapon we've got." Says Jack. "No one is saying they are not a great weapon, Jack. It is just that the Ghost was able to trap them." Skylara says. "The Ghost is long gone." Says Jack. He accelerates and heads back the way they came. "And so am I!" Jack says.

Skylara's hand is shaking on her runner's acceleration grip. "O-kay." Says Crow. Both him and Yusei don't notice that Skylara is shaking all over, her eyes wide, with fear and desperation.

The guy with the pink visor is still watching from afar, he's seen the whole thing. _"I've seen enough."_ He thinks to himself.

Suddenly, Skylara has a feeling and looks over her shoulder at the spot where the man with the visor was just standing. There's no one there. _"Someone_ _i_ _s out there."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

Nighttime in New Domino City lights up the new racing tracks in dazzling loops of multicolored streetlights, leading up to a brightly-lit pavilion on stilts above the water. The video screen atop it displays the WRGP logo and there are several holographic screens floating in the night sky around. "The World Racing Grand Prix Gala!" Leo says.

Inside the pavilion, a fancy gala is happening. Leo has his best clothes on and a big, enchanted smile on his face. "This is cool!" Says Leo. He is standing with Yusei, Crow, Skylara, Akiza and Luna. Apparently they just walked in. Luna is a few steps up from the floor, cautiously, also in her nicest clothes. Akiza is wearing a bright red, strapless evening gown, white elbow-length gloves and high heels. Skylara has her long, wavy, raven black, red gradated hair, styled up into a bun tail, and her eyelids have a dusting of purple eye shadow. Skylara is wearing a black, off-the-shoulder dress, with a right, thigh-high slit, a crystallized bodice, and translucent black sleeves, which extend to her middle fingers, and black kitten heels. Yusei and Crow are in their normal clothes, but don't look entirely underdressed. Leo jumps around, trying to take in everything at once. "The music! The decorations! The duelists! And best of all, the food!" Leo says.

Elsewhere in the room, three young men in matching blue jumpsuits, with a unicorn emblem on the chest, smile and wave at the flashbulbs, politely. They hear a reporter speak. "The stars are out tonight, ladies and gentlemen. Some of the best duelists in the world are here with us." The reporter and his camera guy move away from the crowd around the guys in blue jumpsuits, the reporter keeps talking. "Oh, that's it! I have to get my autograph book! Ohh! Or maybe they could just sign my face!" The reporter and camera guy run past the twins, Crow, Yusei, Skylara and Akiza, who are still uncomfortable in their swanky surroundings.

"I'll tellya, things have been so intense lately! This party should really help us take our mind off things, don't'cha think?" Asks Crow. "Huh? Uh, sure." Akiza says. Crow glances back and notices the same thing she has, Skylara's even quieter than usual, staring straight ahead and doesn't look very happy. "Huh? Skylara? Hello, Skylara?" Asks Crow. _"She's thinking about it, too."_ Akiza thinks to herself.

Flashback. Skylara, riding her runner, with Akiza riding double, draws a card. _"The duel with Sherry."_ Akiza thinks to herself, in voice-over.

Sherry glances back over her shoulder at her, her eyes bright, with mischief and excitement.

Akiza glances at Sherry, worriedly, then down at Skylara, she can't see her face, only the back of her helmet and her long, wavy, raven black, red gradated hair blowing in the wind. _"She got under Skylara's skin then."_ Akiza thinks to herself. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. _"And she's still under it now. Something needs to be done."_ Akiza thinks to herself.

"Anyway, it all started." Carly, in the same ruffly, periwinkle gown that she wore at the Atlas Rising gala and carrying her trusty camera, has been chatting over near the blue jumpsuit guys. Carly just noticed Yusei's group and waves, excitedly. "Hey guys, over here!" Carly says.

"Hey, Carly. What're you doing here?" Asks Crow, wearily. "What else? I'm doing a story. After all, this is like the premier duel event of the season!" Carly says. One of the spaghetti straps on her gown slips down around her shoulder and she readjusts it. "Ooh! Check it out, there's Team Unicorn!" Says Carly. She turns and raises her camera to snap a picture. "Pointy hair and all! Speaking of, why isn't Jack here?" Carly asks. "You're right. Jack lives for these kinds of events, it's not like him to miss a big party like this. That is, unless…" Says Crow.

"Looking for me?" Jack asks.

Yusei, Crow and Akiza turn to look.

Jack is wearing an absurdly snazzy suit in his usual white and purple, with gold embroidery around the edges. A sort of waist-down cape creates the effect of a duel blazer, white pants, white shirt, under a gold-embroidered, gray vest, with a purple collar and fancy bell sleeves, with wide, gold-embroidered cuffs and golden rings around his biceps, and to top it all off, a white hat. The effect is actually a bit cowboy and a lot tacky, but no one could accuse him of being underdressed for the occasion.

"Unless he wants to be fashionably late." Says Crow. "Fashionable is right, nothing beats a tailored suit!" Jack says. "What?! Ya had it tailored?! Jack, how many times do I have to tell you?! We barely have enough money to make our rent and eat!" Says Crow. Carly's watching this exchange, sheepishly. Jack never once loses that smug look. "What made ya use a tailor?!" Crow asks. "Carly. She said I'd look extra-handsome in a fitted suit." Says Jack. Just when it looks like the argument could go all night.

"Your attention, please!" Lazar says.

"Uh." Says Carly. "Oh, good, it's starting!" Jack says.

Lazar is standing on a gallery above the room. His face appears on several holographic screens that float through the air as he speaks. They can definitely hear him clearly, his voice echoes slightly, he's most likely wired for sound. "I am Lazar, and I thank you for joining us tonight to celebrate the commencement of the first ever, World Racing Grand Prix!"

The guys in the blue jumpsuits are also watching, elsewhere in the crowd.

The screens shift to show images of the city and its new bridge architecture.

"As everyone knows, New Domino City has undergone quite a few changes as of late, not least of which was the opening of the Daedalus Bridge, which has effectively ended the strife that once existed between the City and the Satellite. Now duelists can come and go through both districts. So what better way to celebrate this triumph, than with a duel event like no other! And I assure you, my friends, the World Racing Grand Prix will be exactly that. Many surprises await, believe me, but for now let me just say welcome!" Says Lazar.

The crowd cheers, several people on the ground clap, politely.

Yusei, Jack, Skylara and Crow don't. Akiza glances over at Yusei, worriedly. _"Do I really need a new strategy?"_ Yusei thinks to himself.

Flashback. "Now then, here's where I prove that you're wrong about synchros, Yusei! Go, Red Dragon Archfiend! Attack Backup Warrior!" Jack says.

Archfiend blasts Yusei, big cloud of fire, brimstone and dark smoke. "Aaaaagggghhhh!" The flashback ends.

Back to the present. _"Could Jack be right? Is it foolish for me to try and duel without using synchros to their full ability?"_ Yusei thinks to himself. Then once again, Skylara feels the gaze of a sharp gray eye through pink glass. Skylara jumps a little, startled. The person who was watching Yusei duel with Jack can be seen walking away on the other side of the room. "Uh." Says Skylara.

Then, the announcer who MC'd the Fortune Cup, appears on the screens above, holding a microphone. "Greetings, one and all! It is my great honor to announce a very special feature in this, our premiere Grand Prix!" The announcer says.

The lights dim and a holographic model of New Domino's dueling tracks appear in the air above the room. Small specks of light race along the tracks, like fireflies on duel runners. Some of the tracks even seem to loop-the-loop.

Akiza gazes up at it, in open-mouthed wonder. Yusei, Jack, Skylara and Crow look serious, faced with a fresh challenge.

"What you see before you is a new duel course currently under construction in New Domino City! But this is not just any duel course, these roads can transform to create tracks the likes of which you've never seen! But, in order to duel on it, you'll need to prove your Duel Monsters mettle and win your way to the finals! Good luck, duelists!" Says the announcer.

Elsewhere, probably in the same building. Lazar walks down a plain, curving hallway and enters a sitting room, in which the four Directors-General are sitting on couches observing the festivities on a holographic screen. "I am pleased to report that the gala is a great success, my Directors." Lazar says.

"Well done, Lazar." Says the oldest one.

Lazar bows. "But of course." Lazar says.

"The fools don't have a clue what's really going on! Heheheheheheheheh!" Says the youngest one. "And it is important that it stays that way. After all, if these duelists find out what we are up to, this shall all be in vain." Galaxia says. "Yes. If we're going to use their power, they must believe that they're exerting it only to win this tournament. Then, when their duel energy is ours, and ready to be channeled for the grand design, it will be too late for them to stop me. That is, too late for them to stop us, Lady Galaxia." Says the oldest one. Primo turns away to conceal the sneer of rage on his face.

Carly and the twins are enjoying the buffet.

Jack and Crow are chatting nearby, with Akiza and Yusei listening off to the side.

Skylara is still brooding, off a distance away from her friends by herself.

"Skylara Galatea?" "Hm?" Skylara asks. She snaps out of her reverie at the sound of her name. Skylara's being addressed by the three guys in the blue jumpsuits. The one speaking to Skylara has dark red, spiky hair. "It is you, you're the duelist who has been undefeated ever since your dueling career started, and you are still undefeated to this day, am I right? I've heard about you, good things! And I must say, you look really nice." Skylara is a bit taken aback, and then frowns, suspiciously. The guy with the dark red hair misinterprets Skylara's discomfort. "Sorry, allow me to introduce ourselves. We go by the handle 'Team Unicorn'."

"Team Unicorn?!" Asks Crow. He has joined the conversation and he's stoked to meet them. "I know you! You guys have, like, every team-dueling record that's out there! You're the guys who made team dueling so popular!" Crow says. Redhead again. "And you are?" "The name's Crow. I'm one a' Skylara's teammates." "Uh, pardon me." Says Skylara. With one last suspicious glance at Team Unicorn, she turns and walks away.

"Skylara, what gives?! Whereya goin'?!" Crow asks. He then turns to Team Unicorn. "Uh, sorry, she's really not usually like this. Uh, excuse me for a second." Says Crow, false-cheery.

He follows Skylara around the staircases, through the corridor between them and the windows, and grabs her by the shoulder. "Hey, Skylara!" Crow says. Skylara shoves him off, her mood's been getting worse and worse all night. "Let go!" Says Skylara.

"Huh? Ugh, what's your problem?! Don't tell me it's still the nightmares!" Crow says.

Skylara stops walking.

"So, it's the nightmares." Says Crow. He walks up to Skylara, but doesn't try to grab her shoulder again. "Look, I'm not gonna pretend to understand what you're going through. But if you wanna talk about it, I'm here." Crow says. "Sorry, Crow. Not this time, alright?" Asks Skylara. "Huh?" Crow asks. He grimaces, watching Skylara keep walking away all alone.

As Skylara walks past, a guy looking out the huge plate glass windows that make up the wall of the pavilion, the guy starts to freak out. Skylara turns to look at what's going on, right before a giant duel runner, bristling with punk-metal spikes, crashes through the window.

The party is immediately in chaos. Everyone tries to run for cover, as the huge guy on the runner perpetuates the mayhem, happily. Huge guy, big bulging muscles, tanned complexion, T-shirt with a skull and crossbones, electric pink mohawk and prison dye, shaped like a lightning bolt between his right eye and mustache. He is now parked in the middle of the floor.

The Directors-General are watching all this. "What? Who is this guy?!" Asks Lazar.

"Hope none a' you uppacrusts mind me crashin' your party!"

"That's Debacle, he's a local tough guy." Carly says, muttering aside to Crow, Jack, Akiza, Yusei and the twins.

Security officers move amongst the crowd.

Debacle holds up a WRGP poster. "I heard about your little contest, but guess what? It ain't happenin' unless I get a cut a' the prize dough!" Says Debacle.

Trudge is there, in a stylish business suit, that suggests he's stepping up into his role as Vice-Chief, from having been enjoying the party. "Arrest him!" Trudge says. Dozens of Security officers swarm forward at Trudge's command.

Debacle sends several of them flying, easily. The party is in chaos again. Debacle starts riding, scattering bystanders and overturning tables. "Comin' through!" Says Debacle.

"Heheheheh. I like this man's style." Galaxia says.

Debacle keeps riding, scattering the crowd and the party tables. "Lemme clear those tables!" Says Debacle.

Party guests scatter right and left, until finally the only person left standing in front of Debacle is Akiza, looking delicate and helpless in her evening gown, her duel disk already activated on her white-gloved arm. Akiza squares her shoulders and faces down the charge.

"Look out!" Skylara says.

Debacle blazes a path across the floor of the soiree, scattering tables and bystanders. "Who wants some! How 'bout you!" Says Debacle.

"Akiza!" Skylara says.

"Come forth, Black Rose Dragon!" Says Akiza. Her card shimmers with power, as she throws it onto her duel disk.

Debacle shouts, in terror, at the sight of Akiza's monster. "Aaaaagghhh!" Black Rose Dragon whips him back with her vines and he crashes through another window, his runner overturned, and lands on the dark patio outside. "H-how dare you!" Debacle says. The big tough Facility thug looks up at the petite female duelist, whose gown matches her monster's petaled wings perfectly. Akiza's smiling slightly, an unnatural glimmer in her eyes.

Security takes advantage of the moment and rushes in. "All right, men! Surround him! You're coming with us!" Says Trudge.

"You'll never catch me!" Debacle says. He jumps back on his runner, the big back wheel allows it to flip itself back over.

The officers scatter before he can land his front wheel on any of their helmets and he speeds away across the wide terrace.

"Quickly! Take to your duel runners!" Says Trudge.

Security guys run past Akiza, as she stands, motionless, on the terrace.

Akiza's face is up on the screen the Directors-General are watching. "A psychic duelist?" The oldest one asks. Galaxia stands up. "I have had enough of these theatrics! It is time to put an end to this." Says Galaxia, disgusted. She heads for the door.

Out on the tracks and roads below the pavilion. Debacle zooms out into the road, pursued by about ten Security runners.

"Stop, in the name of the law!"

"You Sector slobs just don't give up, do ya?" Debacle asks. He pulls ahead, the Security runners just can't keep up.

Then the Security officer in the lead is startled, as yet another duel runner joins the chase, overtaking him and leaving him in the dust, with ease, bulleting after Debacle. "Ah!"

Debacle pulls up a screen on his runner, it shows a diagram of the runner he just saw, with question marks populating every label. "Unregistered runner? Could it be the Ghost?!" Asks Debacle.

Galaxia, astride the mystery runner, is coming up fast on Debacle.

"Agh?!" Debacle asks

Meanwhile. Security officers are comforting injured or traumatized guests, and reporters are buzzing around. Everyone's sitting around, groaning, recovering from the shock.

Jack can be seen being interviewed by a few reporters.

Trudge is standing around with an earpiece. "What?! Did you say the Ghost is on the scene?!" Asks Trudge.

Skylara and Crow, standing nearby, both turn.

Debacle careens out of a huge cloud of fire and smoke, skidding all over the road. "Please, I'll surrender but no more duelin'!" Debacle says.

Galaxia is right on top of him once the smoke clears and her monster is frighteningly familiar, it's Space Warrior Chaos.

Skylara, Jack, Crow and Yusei run down a hallway in the pavilion, Akiza and the twins running behind. "I don't know how the Ghost is back. But I do know this much, Jack Atlas is going to take him down!" Skylara looks uncertain.

Another explosion and Debacle flies into the air, then lands, scraping against the sides of the duel lane, out of control.

Galaxia rounds the corner, right on his tail, gracefully. "Aaaagghh!"

The pavilion has what has to be the biggest ever parking garage full of duel runners, this is the most of them they've ever seen, let alone in one place. The Signers are jogging past them. "Come on, we've got to try and catch up with him!" Says Jack.

A stranger blocks their path and they stop running.

"Hey, outta the way! We're in a hurry here!" Crow says.

It's the same man who's been watching Skylara from a distance, the guy with the pink visor and the blue jumpsuit, with a sort of mantle of armor around his collar-bone and shoulders made of gray plastic or metal. His black hair is spiky.

"Do we know you?" Asks Leo.

The stranger walks up to Skylara, she again glimpses his sharp, gray eyes through his visor. _"It_ _i_ _s those same eyes. The ones that_ _ha_ _ve been watching me."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

Flashback. On the road earlier, Skylara turns suddenly, aware that she's being watched. No one is there.

Again Skylara felt that same eye, across the room at the gala. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. The strange character and Skylara are now face-to-face, they stare at each other for a moment. Skylara seems surprised, startled out of her gloom by what she sees in this person's eyes, which caught her attention even when directed at her back from far away. Jack snaps out of it first. "Forget him, Skylara! Let's go!" Jack says. Him, Crow and Yusei keep running, the twins and Akiza follow, and Skylara shakes it off and starts to follow also.

The stranger turns and calls after them. "Go and do what?"

All seven of them stop running and turn back to face him again.

He speaks with almost sardonic candor. "The duel will be over by the time you find the Ghost. And even if it's not, you won't be able to help. Will you, Skylara?"

Skylara gasps.

The gray eye behind the visor meets Skylara's gaze, levelly. "You're not ready to face the Ghost."

Skylara's eyes betray alarm.

Out on the road. Space Warrior Chaos reigns over a ghastly bonfire that rises high into the night sky in a smoking column of fire and burning ashes. There is little doubt how the duel ended.

"You must first find what you're looking for."

"'Looking for?'" Asks Skylara.

Galaxia sits astride her runner, close enough to feel the flames, the Space Warrior Chaos card on her console. Galaxia looks over her shoulder, as if she can feel someone close by.

"That's right. The Synchro Solution."

"'The Synchro Solution'? What's that all about? And another thing! Who exactly are you?! How 'bout a name or somethin', buddy!" Crow says.

"You can call me Visor."

"So, Visor. How do we know we can trust you?" Asks Skylara.

Visor does a short laugh. "You can't. Where I come from, trust is something a person has to earn. Guess you'll have to duel me and find out for yourself!" Visor says.

"Lead the way, Visor." Says Skylara, determinedly.


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter 10: The Synchro Solution_

Outside the WRGP opening gala, it's a peaceful night in New Domino City. From the garage below the gala building appear two headlights.

Visor rides out onto the street.

Skylara follows after him, still dressed in her gala finery, showing that even though she's dressed in her finest, she can still very much turbo-duel.

Visor's dark blue runner is mostly composed of an incredibly long, thin nose, with one big wheel behind where he sits.

 _"Time to find out if Visor can really show me a way for Yusei or myself to defeat that Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

Flashback to Yusei's duel with the Ghost. "Machine Emperor Wisel! I activate your special ability!" Ghost says.

White beams shoot out of Wisel's chest and wrap around Stardust Dragon, trapping it like a fly in a web. Stardust screams and struggles against it.

Yusei looks up, horrified. "Stardust Dragon!" Says Yusei.

"It's too late, Yusei! There's nothing you can do! Your Dragon's about to become just another gear in my machine!" Ghost says.

And Stardust vanishes into Wisel's chest, gone. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. _"I guess I shall find out."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

Visor coasts around a corner, past a big holographic billboard outside the gala that reads '2021'.

Skylara follows.

Up above them, on the patio outside the gala. Akiza and the twins, still in their gala finery, are watching, anxiously.

Yusei, Jack and Crow join them, each riding his runner.

"Are you sure about this?! Letting Skylara take off with some guy we have no idea about?" Asks Akiza.

Crow dismounts and takes off his helmet. "No, I'm not." Crow says.

"Then why did you let her go?!" Asks Akiza.

Crow walks up to the railing, looking down at the road below, as the two runners glide past.

Jack and Yusei walk over and join them. "'Cause Skylara's gonna do what she wants to do, whether we like it or not. 'Specially lately. Who knows why she's acting so weird these days." Crow says. Akiza listens, stunned. _"I think that I may know why."_ Akiza thinks to herself.

Flashback to Skylara's match with Sherry. "I will be riding full-throttle on ze cutting edge with everything to lose and everything to gain!" Says Sherry. She looks over her shoulder, her gaze challenging. "Is zat not ze kind of duel you want in on, Skylara Galatea?!" Sherry asks.

Skylara is listening, silently.

"If you race with me, you will find ze drive you seek!" Says Sherry. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Akiza stands there, staring into space, looking worried. "Hel-lo? Earth to Akiza! You okay? You look pretty deep in thought." Leo says. "Uh, I'm fine." Says Akiza. They turn to watch.

Skylara and Visor round another corner.

"Hey, look. They're squaring up!" Leo says.

Skylara is now riding just about even with Visor.

"Yeah! They're gonna battle!" Says Leo. "I'm not so sure about that. From the looks of it, I'd say Visor has something else planned." Jack says.

Visor and Skylara zoom away from the lights of the gala.

"Think you can keep up, Skylara?" Asks Visor. He presses down with his right foot, turns his left hand grip and races ahead.

"Huh? This guy wants to race?" Skylara asks.

"A race?! What's that gonna accomplish?!" Asks Crow.

"Fine with me." Skylara says. She drifts over to the other lane, ready to pass Visor, and starts to speed up.

Visor glances over his shoulder, smiles slightly, pleased, and pulls ahead further.

 _"He's packing hardcore horsepower. However, so am I."_ Skylara thinks to herself. Her engine lights up the air behind her, briefly, as she rockets after her adversary.

Visor rounds a sharp turn, expertly.

Skylara pursues.

They zing down a straightaway, around another curve and onto another straight road.

Skylara's keeping pace at Visor's left wing.

"Come on! Pick up the pace, Skylara! Show this slowpoke what you can do!" Says Jack.

Visor and Skylara weave along the straight road.

 _"Right now, it is all I can do to keep up. However, if Visor really does have the answers that I am looking for, I will have to do better than this."_ Skylara thinks to herself. She accelerates and closes the gap.

Akiza gasps. _"Skylara's pulling out all the stops and they're still neck-and-neck. Hope she knows what she's doing."_ Akiza thinks to herself.

The two runners seem to dance around each other, as Skylara pulls ahead of Visor, he comes around and passes her, she edges ahead of him, then he regains the lead.

Visor grins out of the corner of his mouth and dashes ahead, his passage turning the air around him sharp shades of Speed World fuchsia. Visor's wheels are igniting sparks from the track as he rounds another curve.

"Whoa! Now, that's what I call takin' it to the next gear!" Yusei says. Behind him, Jack looks stunned beyond words.

"That is it, I am finishing this!" Says Skylara. She presses down with her left foot, twists her right grip, pops a wheelie and speeds up. Skylara's back wheel sparks white on the road, then she rushes forward, the purple rushing air making it appear as though she has entered a new dimension. Skylara rounds the curve, leaning into it, her head barely two feet off the ground. _"That is, if it doesn't finish me first."_ Skylara thinks to herself. Charging into the fuchsia-tinted unknown, she struggles to hang on.

Visor rounds another corner, the air rushing past him turning the world purple.

"Can ya keep up, Skylara?" Visor asks, via-radio. "Watch me!" Says Skylara. She hurtles around the corner next, leaning so far into the curve that her runner is nearly horizontal, fiercely determined to hang on. As Skylara comes out of the turn, she gets so close to the edge of the road that the railing reflects in her helmet visor. Startled, Skylara slows down, snapping out of the fuchsia world of speed energy Visor has been leading her through. Skylara's runner wobbles from side to side, unsteadily.

The twins gasp. "Just hold on!" Akiza says.

Skylara regains her balance and zooms away from the wall.

Akiza breathes a sigh of relief.

Visor has slowed down to stay a short distance ahead of Skylara. "Come on now, Skylara! You'll never be able to beat the Ghost if you can't even survive this snail-paced speed!" Says Visor.

"Huh?!" Skylara asks.

Visor accelerates back into the purple dimension once again, flying through a river of fuchsia-white streaks of light, gracefully.

"You asked for it!" Asks Skylara. She speeds up, plunging back into the realm of purple lights.

"Faster!" Leo says.

Skylara rounds the next corner and skids into the next turn sideways, fighting to stay on course. Skylara's right hand shakes on its handle, threatening to lose its grip. Skylara grips harder, straightens up and sails out of the turn, slowing back into the dark night air.

"All right!" Says Leo.

Visor looks over his shoulder, having already seen Skylara's maneuver in the rear-view camera showing on his screen. "Well done, Skylara. That was step one in learning how to beat the Ghost. Now, it's time for step two!" Visor says.

"Huh?" Asks Skylara.

"I activate 'Speed World Two'!" Visor says.

"Duel mode engaged. Autopilot activated." Says the computer. Waves of light spread out from the two runners, lighting up the night.

Duel Lane markers pop up along the side of the highway. "A turbo-duel is about to commence. All non-dueling vehicles must vacate the combat lane immediately." The computer says. A couple of vans shift lanes away, right before Skylara and Visor race past, each runner's headlight shining like a beacon. A runner screen maps out turbo-duel courses in zigzagging multicolored lines. "Formulating cross-town duel course and awaiting Central Grid Authority's official authorization. Authorization has been granted." Says the computer. Street lights above the turbo-dueling track all light up, as Skylara and Visor merge onto it from the street.

"Alright, now it is time to turbo-duel." Skylara says, via-radio. "Well. It's on now." Says Jack. "Big-time!" Crow says. Akiza is watching, anxiously, still worried.

Skylara and Visor zoom past on a track around the gala pavilion.

"Don't hold back, Skylara! I wanna see everything you've got in this duel!" Says Visor.

"You can count on it. First, from my hand, I summon Ignitor in defense mode!" Skylara says. Ignitor has 300 defense points, is a level 3 monster and is a fire type monster. "Then, I shall place a face down and end my turn!" Says Skylara.

"You call that giving it your all, Skylara? Here, watch a pro! Now first, since you're the only one with a monster on the field right now, I can summon this creature straight from my hand! Behold, Skylara! The tuner monster, Tech Genus Striker!" Visor says. Tech Genus Striker has 800 attack points and is a level 2 monster. Visor's lead-off monster is a high-tech ninja of a warrior.

 _"Did he say 'Tech Genus Striker'? I_ _ha_ _ve never heard of that monster before."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

Her friends are crowded around Crow's runner screen, which shows footage of the duel. "Visor already has a tuner out, he must be planning a synchro-summon!" Says Jack.

The screen in the Directors-General lounge switches from showing the gala pavilion to showing the same video feed Crow's runner screen is showing. The shortest and youngest of the four perks up, with interest.

Galaxia, the one with the sword and the only female, enters the room, back from her earlier errand. "Mm! It's a duel!" The youngest one says. Galaxia turns and looks at the screen, which is currently showing Skylara's face. "That duelist. She's related to the one from before." Says Galaxia.

Flashback. Yusei, riding in a cloud of Majestic Star Dragon's iridescent glitter, reaches upward. "Majestic Star Dragon! Attack!" Yusei says, shouting. Majestic Star comes arrowing out of the sky like the most graceful shooting star ever to fan its wings, shining electric blue, and cleanly takes off Machine Emperor Wisel's head before sailing out into the open sky. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Skylara Galatea!" Says Galaxia.

Visor stays ahead, confidently.

Skylara looks a bit nervous.

"And now, Skylara! Since I just special-summoned a level-four-or-below monster to my field, I'm allowed to special-summon this big bad beast directly from my hand. Come to the field, Tech Genus Werewolf!" Visor says. His next monster is a vicious cyborg wolf on two legs. Tech Genus Werewolf has 1200 attack points and is a level 3 monster. "And now, I'll tune the level-two Tech Genus Striker, with the level-three Tech Genus Werewolf, to synchro-summon a warrior from the ways of old! Appear, Tech Genus Gladiator!" Says Visor. Tech Genus Power Gladiator has 2300 attack points and is a level 5 monster.

"He doesn't look so tough." Leo says.

 _"I don't get it. Sure, it_ _i_ _s a synchro. However, he doesn't have any abilities that make him too big of a threat."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

"Next, I'm going to summon the tuner monster, Tech Genus Cyber Magician!" Says Visor. Tech Genus Cyber Magician has 0 attack points and is a level 1 monster.

"Hm?" Skylara asks.

"Wait, he's not planning to synchro again, is he?! That's impossible!" Says Yusei.

In the lounge, in which the Directors-General are watching the duel. Galaxia is still standing, watching the screen, intently. No one says anything.

"Now then, with Tech Genus Cyber Magician out on the field, and the required monsters for a synchro-summoning all currently in my hand!" Visor says.

"Hold on! Did he say 'currently in his hand'?!" Asks Leo.

"Go, Tech Genus Cyber Magician! Tune with Tech Genus Rush Rhino! And now, by their bond, I synchro-summon Tech Genus Wonder Magician!" Visor says.

Tech Genus Wonder Magician is a level-five synchro-tuner monster with nineteen-hundred attack points and zero defense points.

"Now he's got two synchro monsters?" Asks Skylara.

"What's Skylara gonna do now?" Luna asks. "Don't worry, sis! Skylara can handle this no problem!" Says Leo.

"And now, Gladiator! Show that Ignitor the might of your axe! Attack!" Visor says.

"Huunhhh!" Skylara's lifepoints sink to 2000. Skylara's runner sways from one side of the track to the other.

"And now, you take the difference between their points as damage!" Says Visor.

"I was wrong!" Leo says.

Skylara steadies herself and keeps riding.

Leo sighs with relief, maybe Skylara's still in this.

Visor looks back over his shoulder at Skylara. "You okay, Skylara? Or have ya had enough!" Says Visor, his tone slightly taunting.

"I am just getting started, and so is Ignitor! Because when he's destroyed in battle, he allows me to summon Flameslinger!" Skylara says. Flameslinger has 200 attack points and is a level 2 monster.

"Well then, I guess it's a good thing I have another synchro ready on deck! Go, Wonder Magician! Destroy Flameslinger!" Says Visor. Tech Genus Wonder Magician blasts Flameslinger and destroys it.

"Sorry, but it is going to take three monsters to keep my field clear! Because when Flameslinger's destroyed, Eruptor is ready to roll!" Skylara says.

"Guess I'm done." Says Visor.

"Yes! Skylara's holdin' her own!" Leo says. _"Or thinks she is! She's been wrong before!"_ Akiza thinks to herself.

Flashback to Skylara's duel with Sherry. "Then I shall activate its special ability, and force your Chevalier into defense mode!" Says Skylara.

"Zat does nothing for you! That little creature has no hope of crashing through Fleur de Chevalier's defense and with defeat comes damage!" Sherry says.

Skylara's lifepoints decrease to a slim 100. Akiza looks down at Skylara from her perch on the back of her runner, worriedly. Akiza sees the lifepoint count on Skylara's screen. _"Only a hundred lifepoints left!"_ Akiza thinks to herself. "Skylara, d'you realize what you just did?!" Asks Akiza. She gasps. Skylara is still smiling. Akiza can hardly believe her eyes, feeling forlorn, on the outside looking in on something she can't understand. _"Skylara?"_ Akiza thinks to herself. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Skylara and Visor soar around another couple dizzying curves.

 _"I hope Skylara's not in over her head here!"_ Akiza thinks to herself.

 _"Consecutive attacks by two synchro monsters. Is this the strategy I_ _ha_ _ve been looking for? The technique to defeat Machine Emperor Wisel?"_ Skylara thinks to herself.

Flashback to Yusei's duel with the Ghost. "Thanks to your synchro monster, my Machine Emperor now gains twenty-five-hundred extra points to do damage to you with! Hahahahahaha!" Ghost says. Wisel's fist shimmers with a ghost of Stardust Dragon's head, complete with glowing eyes. Its attack points rise to 2500. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. _"It could work. After all, Machine Emperor Wisel can only absorb one synchro per turn. If there were two."_ Skylara thinks to herself. She's watching Wonder Magician and Gladiator, and envisions the latter then taken away. Wonder Magician is still there, ready to go. _"Then if one was taken down, another would be able to fight. However, is that all there is to it? Or was Visor hinting at something more?"_ Skylara thinks to herself.

Flashback to when Visor first addressed them in the gala's garage. "Skylara, you're not ready to face the Ghost. You must first find the Synchro Solution." Says Visor. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Well? Your move, Skylara. Have you thought it through?" Visor asks.

"Hm! You better believe it!" Says Skylara. _"Come on,_ _y_ _es! Perfect!"_ Skylara thinks to herself. She flips over her drawn card. It's 'Speed Spell-Synchro Defuse'. "I activate the speed spell 'Synchro Defuse'! Now, since I have two or more speed counters, I gain control of one synchro monster on your side of the field until the end phase of this turn!" Skylara says.

"So, she just stole Visor's synchro?" Asks Jack. "Yep, just like the Ghost stole Yusei's! Don't ya see, if Skylara duels against Visor like the Ghost dueled against Yusei, then however Visor counters will be the Synchro Solution!" Crow says.

In the Directors' lounge. Galaxia has finally resumed her seat on the couch, her sword leaning on the seat next to her. The four of them are watching, tensely.

"Tech Genus Gladiator is now all mine, Visor!" Says Skylara. Gladiator begins to shimmer, as though to vanish and go to her side.

"All right!" Leo says.

Visor looks up at Gladiator, then speeds up. "Huh?!" Asks Visor.

"Yeah, here we go!" Jack says.

"Well done, Skylara! Now, prepare to step outta the shadows and into the light! Go, Accel Synchro!" Says Visor.

"Accel Synchro?!" Skylara asks.

Visor is still accelerating and the air around him is starting to tint purple, then electric blue. "Behold, Skylara! You wanted to know the Synchro Solution, so I give you, the Accel Synchro!" Says Visor.

"What is happening, Visor?!" Skylara asks.

"Watch and see!" Says Visor. As he continues to speed up, the blue air starts to turn white with the energy of his passing it, obscuring him from view. A green ring blossoms around the track, as though the riders themselves are flying through the rings of a synchro-summoning. The air around Visor is now a vibrant tuner's green, and more rings are appearing.

Skylara watches, in stunned amazement.

There's a bright, blinding flash.

Crow's runner screen has become a headlight, everyone winces away from it.

The Directors' holographic screen is shining just as brightly. None of the four shields their eyes, or even moves.

Skylara and her Eruptor are now on the track alone. Ahead of them, all is dark. "Where did he go?" Skylara asks. She rides onward.

Suddenly, the air behind Skylara seems to pulse, dispersing blurry waves of intangible power. Skylara is forced toward the side of the track, as the air space directly beside her shines brighter and brighter.

Visor comes roaring out of it. Above Visor hovers a new monster, armored in bright lime green and orange. Tech Genus Blade Blaster has 3300 attack points and is a level 10 monster.

"Where did that monster come from?! And what in the world is it?" Asks Skylara.

"It's an accel synchro monster, Tech Genus Blade Blaster." Visor says.

"Wait, an accel synchro monster? What is that? And how were you able to summon it right in the middle of my turn?!" Asks Skylara.

"An accel synchro summon uses a synchro-tuner monster and a synchro monster! And it's done with lightning-fast speed!" Visor says.

"Hm?!" Asks Skylara, shocked.

Flashback to Visor's earlier acceleration that turned the air blue, then white. _"Of course, that_ _i_ _s what he meant by finding the Synchro Solution! It was there all along, I just had to push hard enough and go fast enough to uncover it!"_ Skylara thinks to herself, in voice-over. Visor accelerates even further, the air around him turns green and blossoms with tuning rings. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. _"No wonder he challenged me to race earlier! He wanted to see if I had the speed it took!"_ Skylara thinks to herself.

"Don't be too awestruck, Skylara. We still got a duel to finish!" Visor says. He speeds ahead.

"And I got a few cards that may just help finish it! First, I activate the speed spell 'Dark Angel Baton'! With this, since I have two more speed counters, I get to draw two cards from my deck, but then must send one card in my hand to the grave. Next, I summon the tuner monster Drill Sergeant!" Says Skylara. Drill Sergeant has 800 attack points and is a level 3 monster. "And now since there is a tuner monster on the field, I can summon Wham-Shell from my graveyard." Skylara says. Wham-Shell has 800 attack points and is a level 2 monster. "Next, I shall tune level-three Drill Sergeant, with level one Eruptor and level-two Wham-Shell to create a gargantuan that can grind through even the greatest garrisons of defense! I synchro-summon, Drobot!" Says Skylara. Drobot has 2400 attack points, is a level 6 monster and is a tech type monster. Drobot is a cyborg-dragon, half-robot and half-dragon. "And by cutting Drobot's attack points in half, he's allowed to turn his brutalizing mechanical bits on you! Go, Drobot! Mega Blasters!" Skylara says.

Drobot's attack points decrease to 1200 and he goes in for a direct attack, firing his laser vision into the track, it then blasts its way back upward and shoots toward and through Visor, it's a direct hit. Visor clenches his teeth, as his lifepoints decrease to 2800.

"And then, I shall end my turn with a face down!" Says Skylara.

"At last, you're putting up a fight. I'd been waiting for this, I was starting to get bored going so easy on you! But now it seems I can finally start dueling you with some force!" Visor says.

Skylara waits, quietly, to see what he has in store for her next. "It's my turn now! Huah! First things first! Tech Genus Blade Blaster, destroy that Drobot!" Says Visor.

"I activate my trap card 'Wave Force'! Now, since a synchro monster was the target of your attack, all monsters on your side of the field in attack mode will be destroyed!" Skylara says. A bolt of green-white energy crackles from her card to intercept Blade Blaster's blue one midair. "That is dueling with force!" Says Skylara.

"Not so fast, Skylara! By sending one card to the graveyard, my Blade Blaster survives your trap. Observe!" Visor says.

The two bolts of energy collide, and Blade Blaster wins, striking through to reach Drobot and destroy it.

Skylara takes the hit and is down to 1000 lifepoints. "I play the trap 'Dark Wish'! With this, I can summon one monster that was destroyed in battle during this turn! So come back, Drobot!" Says Skylara.

"Most impressive." Visor says.

Crow's runner screen finally shows video footage again. "The duel feed's back online." Says Crow. "What on Earth is that monster?!" Jack asks. "Oh, no! Skylara's lifepoints are down to a thousand!" Says Leo.

The Directors-General also have their video feed back. "What happened? This isn't how we left the duel!" The oldest one says. "It seems we missed something during that white flash." Says Galaxia.

Skylara is gaining on Visor, swiftly. _"I was able to keep Drobot out on the field. However, with Blade Blaster having thirty-three-hundred attack points, he would be completely outmatched if they battled! I need to come up with another strategy."_ Skylara thinks to herself. She glances down at her hand, a speed spell and a trap. _"The cards in my hand are_ _'_ _Speed Energy_ _'_ _and_ _'_ _Darkening Silence Force_ _'_ _. With_ _'_ _Speed Energy_ _'_ _, if I have two or more speed counters, a monster on my field could get a big boost in attack points, I get to multiply however many speed counters I have by two hundred, and that_ _i_ _s the bonus. I have three counters now, but next turn I_ _sha_ _ll have four, which would mean I_ _woul_ _d be able to increase a monster's attack points by eight hundred! However, that would still only give Drobot thirty-two-hundred attack points, and that_ _i_ _s just not enough to beat Visor's Blade Blaster!"_ Skylara thinks to herself.

"Face it, Skylara. This duel's over." Visor says.

Skylara places a hand on her deck, ready to draw. _"It will be, if I don't get the right draw!_ _R_ _ight here, right now!"_ Skylara thinks to herself.

"Just accept it, you can't win this." Says Visor.

 _"As long as there are still cards in my deck, I_ _still have a shot!"_ Skylara thinks to herself. "My draw!" Skylara says. Her card seems to slice the air as she pulls it. "I activate the 'Speed Spell-Speed Energy'! With it, I can increase Drobot's attack points by the number of speed counters I have times two hundred!" Says Skylara. That brings Drobot up to 3200 attack points. "And next, I shall summon Double Trouble!" Skylara says. Double Trouble has 400 attack points, 1600 defense points, is a level 3 monster and is a magic type monster. "However, he won't stay for long! Because by releasing him, all creature-type monsters on my field gain five hundred attack points! I release you, Double Trouble." Says Skylara. She places Double Trouble in her graveyard slot. The hologram turns into a beam of white light and curls around Drobot. "Now, Drobot's attack points increase to thirty-seven-hundred!" Skylara says. Drobot has gained a staff that looks like Double Trouble's. Drobot's points now read 3700. "And that means he's more than a match for Tech Genus Blade Blaster! So let him have it, Drobot! Tactical Bladegears!" Says Skylara.

"All right!" Leo says.

"Hold it right there. I play an ability, it lets me remove Blade Blaster from play, once per turn." Says Visor.

"But, that means!" Skylara says.

Tech Genus Blade Blaster vanishes, all 3700 points of her attack crashes down on Visor, instead. Visor's lifepoints sink straight to 0. "Rrrrggghhh!" Visor growls under her breath.

"Huh?" Asks Skylara.

The twins gasp. "Check it! He took the hit to save his monster!" Yusei says.

"Ah?" Asks Galaxia.

The vents on the sides of Visor's runner gush steam, it swings around, spinning out of control, then spins a few more times on its back wheel, coming to a relatively controlled stop.

Skylara rides over to Visor, who raises his head and meets her gaze, expression closed. Skylara walks a few steps toward Visor. "Visor, are you alright?!" Skylara asks. "Yes, I'm perfectly fine. That was a good finish." Says Visor. "Maybe, but that didn't have to be the finish, Visor. Why did you do that? Why did you protect your monster with your lifepoints, it makes no sense." Skylara says. Visor chuckles. "Hmhm! I would explain, but I'm afraid that I can't reveal all the secrets of the Accel Synchro, Skylara." Says Visor. "What do you mean? What don't I know?" Skylara asks. "The answers will all come in good time. Until then, I'll be looking forward to our next duel." Says Visor. "Hm?" Skylara asks. Visor revs his engine and peels out, vanishing into the night, leaving her standing there on the track, with a stunned look on her face.

The Directors' screen shifts from Skylara, standing there speechless, to a map of New Domino's turbo-duel tracks. "Ah! What kind of a lame ending was that?! What a waste of time!" Says the youngest one. "That was no waste. You're simply too blind to see what really just happened, Lester. To see that a whole new age of dueling has just begun. New, but old. Ancient, even." The oldest one says. _"Something happened inside that light! Something that I need to find out!"_ Primo thinks to himself. He glances over at Galaxia. _"And then maybe I can be worthy of her. I may already be her second in command, but I can also be more than that to her."_ Primo thinks to himself.

A peaceful night in Domino City, somewhere on a turbo-dueling track near the WRGP Gala, Skylara stands beside her runner, staring down the track and long after her opponent has disappeared. Above and behind Skylara, the full moon is shining. _"Accel Synchro."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

Flashback. As Visor continues to speed up, the blue air starts to turn white with the energy of his passing it, obscuring him from view. A green ring blossoms around the track, as though the riders themselves are flying through the rings of a synchro-summoning. The air around Visor is now a vibrant tuner's green, and more rings are appearing. There's a bright, blinding flash. _"I found the Synchro Solution."_ Skylara thinks to herself, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. _"_ _However,_ _if I_ _a_ _m going to master it. I_ _ha_ _ve to push beyond my limits."_ Skylara thinks to herself.


	11. Chapter 11

_Chapter 11: Acceleration_

The shabby fluorescence shine high up above the floor, hanging from a crossbeam. "Did that cooling rod work? We in business?" Crow asks. Below, Skylara is kneeling beside an unfamiliar red runner, tinkering with something. Jack, Crow and Yusei are standing over Skylara and the runner on the opposite side. "Yes." Says Skylara. She stands up. "Thank you for tracking it down." Skylara says.

"Tracking what down?" Asks Akiza.

All three guys and Skylara look up.

Akiza, wearing a sleek, form-fitting, red riding suit, edged in black, which shows her cleavage, and red, high-heeled boots, is standing on the ramp that leads from their front door down into the garage. Akiza looks even a bit sheepish at her flashy new turbo-dueling garb.

"Lookin' good!" Yusei says. "You almost look like a turbo-duelist." Says Jack.

"Is that what I think it is?" Akiza asks.

Skylara nods. "This is your membership card." Says Skylara.

Flashback. Skylara's runner is parked at the side of a road, near a railing facing the sea. Skylara and Akiza are standing at the railing side-by-side, looking out at the water. "So, I wanna join the club. I want a piece of the action, I wanna speak your language. I just, I wanna be a part of your world, Skylara." Akiza says, hurrying her words. "What are you saying?" Asks Skylara. "I wanna become a turbo-duelist." Akiza says. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Akiza walks over to stand near Skylara and the runner. The floor around is scattered with ends of assorted cables, a bucket of water with a rag, a low table and stool with odds and ends scattered on the former, a few open tool boxes and a laptop sitting on the floor plugged in. "We built this bad boy using parts we scraped together from a couple scrap yards. It's no Z-X-twenty-two-hundred, but it'll treat you good enough for now." Says Yusei. Akiza looks down at her new runner, fairly modest and nondescript in design, and at Skylara, misty-eyed. "Ah! I don't know what to say!" Akiza says. "Well, how about 'nothing can stop me from getting my license.'" Says Skylara. Akiza smiles.

Out behind New Domino's Duel Academy, there is a winding loop of track, surrounded by grass. "Well enrollment certainly has gone up since the announcement a' the Grand Prix!"

Indoors. The lecture hall is filled to the rafters with over a hundred students, most wearing male Duel Academy students' dark blue blazers. A few students are wearing non-Academy clothes. Each hunched over a laptop, while the instructor speaks at a lectern in front, far below. "I used to teach this class in the basement! Quick warnin' for all you dreamers out there, though!"

Akiza is sitting in the midst of this class in her red school blazer, looking quietly determined.

"Gettin' your turbo-license is hard! Qualifyin' for the Grand Prix is even harder!"

Sometime later. Akiza is sitting alone on a bench, in her riding suit, while other students, in blazers, including several girls her own age, mill around and chatter, none of them are in riding suits. Akiza shines her helmet until she can see her reflection in its visor.

The twins' reflections appear in Akiza's shiny helmet. "So does this mean you're gonna be taking the Grand Prix by storm?" Leo asks. The twins take seats on either side of Akiza, she chuckles a bit at how their arrival startled her. "Leo. Luna. Let's not get ahead of ourselves or anything. I'm not even thinking about the Grand Prix right now. I'm just hoping I can qualify for a license." Says Akiza. "Don't worry, Akiza. You're gonna be great." Luna says.

"Excuse me, but, uh, are you sure you're in the right place?"

Akiza looks up, standing over them are three rough-looking guys about her age. The one on Akiza's left has a light blue button-up shirt and messy blonde-brown hair, his buddy on the right has black, shiny hair with sideburns, and is wearing an orange jumpsuit for riding. Their friend, behind them in the center, has bright red streaks in the first few locks of his limp brown hair and wears a brown jacket, with fluffy lining, over a maroon shirt. These three male turbo-dueling students don't look like real trouble, but they look a lot like a hassle. "Yeah, shouldn't ya be at home playin' wit' your dolls? Or pretending to cook in a little plastic oven while watching boy bands on TV!" Blue shirt snickers.

Luna stands up in Akiza's defense. "Uh, Akiza's a senior at Duel Academy? And she's the best in her class!" Says Luna.

One of the guys puts up his hands, palms-out, sarcastically feigning terror. "Oh, oh! I'm so scared!" "This ain't duel school. Turbo-duels are the toughest duels ever. And it takes a real man to handle a duel runner."

"So, when are these 'real men' supposed to show up?" Akiza asks.

Once they realize what she just said, they don't like it.

Akiza sits on the bench and matches their gazes, calmly.

Just then, the instructor shouts. "Hey, you four! Enough dawdlin'! The track's not walkin' over to you! Move it!"

Akiza gets up.

A short time later. Akiza is standing at attention before the instructor, in a line of other turbo-dueling hopefuls, each carrying their helmet under one arm. Their runners are parked some distance away. "It's time for the trainin' wheels to come off, boys and girl! No more autopilot from here on out!" The four students in this group are Akiza and the three boys who tried to pick on her. All four look determined. "It's jus' you, your runner, and the cruel, cruel pavement! Now get on your rides and show me what you're made of!" The four hurry over to their runners.

The first student turbo-duelist zooms by on his way onto the track.

Skylara joins the twins in the bleachers, hands on her hips. "What did I miss?" Asks Skylara.

The guy in the blue jumpsuit is first to take the track. "This is cake! I'm gonna fly around this track faster than a bolt of lightning!" He rounds the first curve, leaning into it at an acute angle, lighting up sparks from the road and skids out of control, yelling. He crashes into the low barrier of blocks that marks the side of the track. He picks himself back up after his failed run. "Well, even lightning crashes."

Skylara and the twins watch in the background, as the instructor raps a long stick on the ground, emphasizing his words. "Numbskull! Ya went too fast! Next!" "Uhh, okay!"

Next contender is the guy in orange. He's a bit more cautious. _"Just stay upright, just stay upright."_ He thinks to himself. "I made it!"

"Too slow, fraidy-pants! I coulda lapped ya four times already! Who's next?!"

Akiza is the next rider. Akiza rolls forward on the runner Skylara, Yusei, Jack and Crow built her. "I am." Akiza says.

Skylara, Luna and Leo are watching, closely, as she glides past them and out onto the track. "Go, Akiza! Rip it up!" Says Leo.

The wind rushes past Akiza and her runner. _"The speed! The whole world just flying at me like this! It's, it's..."_ Akiza thinks to herself. "It's so incredible! Whooohooooooo!" Akiza says. She races into the curve.

Skylara gasps and leans forward. "Ah!" Says Skylara. "Huh?" Both Luna and Leo ask. "Akiza! Slow down, you won't be…! Ugh!" Says Skylara. All three wince, looks like Akiza crashed, spectacularly.

Out on the track. Akiza's practice runner's wheels are slowing down in a pile of track-side blocks. Akiza has been flung some distance away and is picking herself up. Akiza smiles up at the bleachers, chagrined. "I'm okay! Heh!" Akiza says, sort of whimsically cheerful.

Another day, late into the afternoon. Skylara's runner is parked by the side of the track, and she and the twins are standing near it, watching Akiza circle the track. "She's getting better and better every day!" Says Leo. "Yes." Skylara says.

Akiza is coming up on the sharp turn that thwarted her and the other students. "You're mine, sharp curve!" Says Akiza. She leans into the turn and sparks glint on the edge of her footrest. As Akiza goes into the turn, her runner flips forward and she flies over the handlebars.

Skylara and the twins run over to Akiza. "Akiza, are you alright?" Skylara asks. "Easy does it." Says Luna. "I almost had it, I just! Uh!" Akiza says. She stands up. "That's it! If more I drift at the turn of the beginning then gun it when I bend the round, and hold the torque, that oughta do it!" Says Akiza. They watch her walk away, probably to retrieve her runner, a bit nonplussed at her mangled grammar. "I think she's crashed one too many times." Leo says. Skylara nods, slightly.

Akiza tries the curve again, this time wobbling in toward the inner edge scraping against it, almost staying on course. "Ugh! Hold it!" Says Akiza. And she goes flying from her runner again.

Akiza tries again. Akiza suddenly accelerates a bit too much and loses her grip, with surprise, and crashes again.

"You are pushing too hard!" Skylara says.

Akiza stands up, ready for one more go and shakes out her hair, which has stayed in its roller and not much mussed. "Okay, I think I've got the hang of it." Says Akiza. Skylara smiles. "Good. Just keep trusting your instincts." Skylara says.

Akiza zooms toward the curve one more time. _"Angle of entry is good. And the bike is gripping the track right. Now, just let it drift with the curve. Just-let it drift."_ Akiza thinks to herself. And at just the right moment, she accelerates and swings out the other side of the curve, completing the maneuver, successfully. "I did it!" Says Akiza.

The twins chuckle, cheered by her success. Skylara smiles, proudly, her gaze challenging. "Very nice." Skylara says.

Night, at Skylara, Yusei, Jack and Crow's place. "This should help stabilize the handling, Akiza." Says Skylara. She works on Akiza's training bike, while she stands by and watches. _"It's so nice of Skylara to help me like this!"_ Akiza thinks to herself.

A bright new day. Akiza races out onto the training track, with Skylara and the twins watching from the bleachers. _"Time to rev it up!"_ Akiza thinks to herself. She rounds the curve, smoothly, swirls around a sequence of loop-the-loops in the track and leaps from a ramp, soaring into the sky. Akiza lands on her back wheel, skids a bit to the side, hits the ground riding and keeps going. Akiza rounds one last turn, wheels sparking and completes the lap.

"Oh, man, just wow! That's her best time yet!" Leo says.

Akiza is glowing, with pleasure, at her successful run. "You qualify!" "You bet I do!" Says Akiza.

While the twins cheer, Streaks does not look happy. _"She may've qualified, but there's no way she's passing the final exam! I'll see to that!"_ Streaks thinks to himself.

The student turbo-dueling track behind Duel Academy is bright and sunny. Akiza and four classmates, including the three she began training with, line up before the instructor alongside their runners. "Well, it's been a gruelin' two weeks. But Akiza's the only one a' you sorry punks that even qualified for the final exam!" He raps the ground with his stick, angrily. "The rest a' y'all are little failure baby men!" Akiza smiles, elated with her success. The boys are very jealous. "You gotta be kidding me!" "This is bunk!" "I can't believe how lame we are." "Yeah."

Late in the afternoon. "All you have to do now is pass the final exam. You can do it, Akiza." Skylara says. They're standing on the track, runners side by side. Akiza's standing beside her practice runner, and Skylara's sitting astride her own runner. The twins are standing off to the side. "Ya think?" Asks Akiza. "Of course. However, there is one trick you might want to learn." Skylara says.

She demonstrates, riding forward at an easy pace, swinging her back wheel around and U-turning back the way she came, then whipping her back wheel around to turn again and continue moving, backwards, to glide past Akiza.

"You need to know how to drift backwards." Says Skylara. "I'm guessing it's harder than it looks." Akiza says. Skylara stops a few feet behind her. "At first. However, once you know you can pull it off, you are ready for almost anything that might come your way." Says Skylara. "Right, let me try." Akiza says.

She zooms down the track, twists her runner around backwards, and starts skidding and wobbling all over the track.

Skylara and the twins are watching from a distance. "This looks bad." Says Luna. All three wince, Akiza just crashed again. They look up. "Huh?" Leo, Luna and Skylara all ask.

Akiza's runner is crashed into one side of the track and she's sprawled over on the other. "Ugh... anyone get the license plate on that rhino?" Asks Akiza, groaning.

Its late afternoon at the roller rink. Several skaters glide here and there in the background, a couple of people are leaning against the side talking, a few others are outside the rim of the floor watching the skaters, and a couple who seem to be practicing a pair dance on skates. Yusei and Akiza are standing in the middle of the skating floor, both of them wearing in-lines.

The twins and Skylara are leaning against the railing outside the floor. "Um, d'you feel like a third wheel?" Leo asks. "This isn't a date, Leo." Says Luna.

"It's all about remembering what was behind you and relaxing." Yusei says.

He skates backward several feet, easily, then back around Akiza, still gliding backwards.

Yusei stops and Akiza attempts it next. As soon as Akiza moves a skate, she loses her balance. "Whoa-oa-oa!" Says Akiza. She topples forward right into Yusei and he catches her before she falls. "You have, uh, skated before, right?" Yusei asks. Akiza looks up at him, sheepishly, blushing slightly, they're still halfway into each others arms. "I've watched people skating in the park." Says Akiza.

"See? This is totally a date!" Leo says. "Leo! He's trying to teach her something about turbo-dueling!" Says Luna.

Yusei and Akiza continue to practice skating. First, Yusei holds Akiza's hands, gently, leading her, as she learns to balance, she looks afraid to let go. "It's all about anticipation." Yusei says.

Next, Akiza grabs one of his arms for balance, nearly causing him to fall. "Maybe I should learn how to go forward first." Says Akiza. "You have to just trust yourself and let go." Yusei says.

Next, Akiza careens backward, balancing haphazardly on one skate, he reaches out after her, belatedly. "Just for the record, I meant to do that!" Says Akiza.

Her skates are gliding more smoothly now.

"Ya got it! Now, spin around and coast!" Yusei says.

Akiza glides backward, looking up at the pink and purple domed ceiling, serenely.

Yusei glides up beside Akiza, also skating backwards, and they meet eyes, smiling, skating side by side.

The twins and Skylara are still watching from the sidelines, as they turn around and skate forward. "Still thinking it's not a date?" Asks Leo. Luna sighs. "Okay, yeah, it's totally a date." Luna says. Skylara smiles.

Yusei and Akiza skate side-by-side, both smiling, triumphantly. Yusei hovers just within reach, prepared to steady Akiza. "I know you can do it, Akiza. Just trust yourself!" Says Yusei.

Bright early morning at Skylara, Yusei, Jack and Crow's place.

Akiza walks through the front door and looks down at the work area, surprised.

Skylara, Yusei, Jack and Crow are all bare-armed in the sleeveless shirts they wear under their jackets. Skylara has a small portion of her hair tied back. "Hey." Crow says. "About time you showed up." Says Jack, teasingly. They're standing around a shiny new runner that bears only a little bit of resemblance to Akiza's practice bike. Clearly they've been working hard to surprise Akiza. It's absolutely beautiful. "What is this?!" Akiza asks. "Your practice bike wasn't cutting it anymore. So, we made a few adjustments." Says Skylara. Akiza looks closer at her gleaming new duel runner, shimmering in the morning sunlight through the door. It looks like a real, pro runner now, not a practice bike. The new body design is sleek and aerodynamic, in Akiza's signature color of crimson red. "Yusei and I installed the brake system and the deck interface." Crow says. "I added to the frame and reconfigured the engine." Says Skylara. "I provided, verbal encouragement." Jack says. "It's awesome!" Says Akiza. "It is a real runner." Skylara says. Akiza wipes away tears. "I guess that... now all it needs is a real rider!" Says Akiza. "Are you ready?" Yusei asks. Akiza nods.

A bright sunny day on the training track behind the Academy. Akiza and a few other contenders in yellow jumpsuits stand beside the track, their runners lined up and ready to race.

Akiza's three training-group-mates are sitting in the bleachers, Streaks laughing, maliciously.

Crow and the twins grab seats in the front row, eagerly. Skylara, Jack and Yusei in the next row up. "Ah! Looks like we just made it!" Says Crow. "Here goes the first guy." Leo says.

The first contender races out onto the track, his test proctor following on his navy blue and yellow duel runner. The student's wheel grazes the side of the track and he flips over his handlebars, hitting the pavement.

The proctor zooms past, leaving him in the dust, and finishes the lap.

"Ooh, wipeout!" Says Crow. "Poor sap never drew a card." Jack says.

"That's because these students are challenging one of the best. Second best under Skylara anyway."

They all look towards the person who said that. She is an extremely beautiful and delicate-looking fair-skinned girl, with wavy, teal hair, that falls just past her shoulders. Her height appears to be 5'4" and she seems to be the same age as Skylara and Yusei, nineteen. Her arms are crossed in front of herself, looking innocent, almost like what a little girl would do. Her eyes are closed for the moment and then open, revealing them to be deep blue. She is soon easily recognized by Skylara, causing her to stand up from her seat, standing there, in complete shock. "Hello, Skylara. It's been quite a while, hasn't it?" "I-I don't believe it. Is that really you, Michiru?" Asks Skylara. "Yes, it is truly me. And if I'm not mistaken, you are truly Skylara Galatea." Michiru says. "The one and only. Anyway what brings you here, and to New Domino City of all places? Last time I remember, you were in Tokyo." Says Skylara. "Well, here I am. And are these your friends?" Michiru asks. Skylara turns to her group. "Yes, I guess you can say that." Says Skylara.

"Skylara, who is she and how do you know her?" Luna asks.

"Oh yes, introductions. Well, this is Michiru Kaiou. She is a very good and old friend of mine." Says Skylara.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Michiru." Luna says. She walks up to Michiru, but stands directly in front of Skylara, almost against her body. "And who's this little cutie pie, Skylara?" Asks Michiru. Skylara puts her hands on Luna's shoulders. "This is Luna. She's like a little sister to me." Skylara says. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Luna." Says Michiru. She holds out her hand to shake Luna's, they then shake each others hands. "Now, who's the one who looks almost very identical to you?" Michiru asks.

Leo then steps up, standing next to Skylara. "This is Leo. He's Luna's older twin brother." Says Skylara. "I can tell." Michelle says.

Crow then steps up. "Hey, I'm Crow Hogan. It's nice to meet you, Michiru." "Like wise, you must be Skylara's best friend." Says Michiru. "Yep, that's me." Crow says. He points a thumb towards himself, proudly.

Luna, Leo and Crow then return to their seats.

"And then if I'm not confused, but I believe you are Jack Atlas. The Master of Faster, am I right?" Asks Michiru. "Why yes, that would be me." Jack says. "He's your boyfriend I'm guessing." Says Michiru. "You guessed right." Skylara says.

Yusei then steps up and walks up beside his sister. "I don't even have to guess who you are, your Skylara's younger half-twin brother. Yusei Fudo, are you not?" Asks Michiru. "That's right, how do you know that?" Yusei asks. "My partner and I watched the Fortune Cup." Says Michiru. "That explains it." Skylara says. "Anyway, who are you here to support?" Asks Michiru. "Akiza Izinski, she's another friend of mine." Skylara says. "I see." Says Michiru. "So, what brings you here?" Skylara asks. "My partner is here." Says Michiru. "Seriously, well where is she? I would like to see her again, as well." Skylara says. "Oh, trust me you will. Would you mind if I joined you?" Asks Michiru. "Not at all." Skylara says.

The test proctor glides to a halt in front of the stands and pulls up the eye visor from his eyes, revealing them to be dark blue, full of determination and mysteriousness. "Huh! Another wannabe bites the dust!"

Skylara gasps. "Is that?" Asks Skylara, aside to Michiru. Michiru nods.

The proctor notices them, recognizing Skylara very well. "Well, if it isn't the one and only. You're up, Akiza!" Showdown. "Congrats for getting this far. Now, there's just one thing standing between you and your turbo-license, and that thing is me! And it's plannin' on wipin' the road with ya, dumpling."

Crow sits down next to Jack. "Aw, come on! He's really gonna trash-talk when he doesn't even know Akiza?!" Crow asks, annoyed. "There's no way she can defeat him." Says Jack.  
A few seats away, the three boys from Akiza's class are watching the showdown with unpleasantly smug looks on their faces. "You ever hear of 'schadenfreude'?" "You mean 'pleasure derived from the misfortune of others'?" Streaks is holding a small remote control in one palm. "Sure have! Heheheheheheheh!"

Akiza and the proctor are at the starting line. The heat off the road distorts the air around their feet. "Sorry, dumpling. But I can't go easy on ya." "Wouldn't wantcha to." Akiza says. "I see you got the spirit." Says the proctor.

A man in a suit with a clipboard speaks from the sidelines. "It is now time to begin the turbo registration final exam." He raises an arm. "On your marks, get set…"

Both duelists' eyes narrow, their tense, ready for the word to begin. "Duel!"

And they take off. Akiza's wheels squeal a bit and then propel her forward, the proctor follows at a distance of several feet, as he did with the last student he proctored. "First, I activate the 'Speed World Two' field spell! Let's ride!" The proctor says. "Duel mode, engaged. Autopilot, activated." Says the computer. The proctor rides up next to Akiza, and she glances over. _"If I take the first curve before this guy, I'll be able to make the first move!"_ Akiza thinks to herself. _"Let's find out what she's got!"_ The proctor thinks to himself. They accelerate into the curve, side-by-side. At the last minute, Akiza pulls ahead by a nose, her eyes glancing over toward the proctor, warily. _"Yes!"_ Akiza thinks to herself. And zooms out of the turn, well ahead now.

"She took that corner perfectly!" Luna says.

Akiza smiles and stares into space a moment. The proctor gains on Akiza. "What're you waiting for, the first move's yours. You're not scared, areya dumpling?!" Asks the proctor. He nudges Akiza's back fin with his runner, igniting sparks. Akiza winces, shaken. "Ugh!" Akiza says. "Look, no one'll blame ya if ya wanna quit now! I mean nobody expects you to pass, anyway!" Says the proctor.

The other Signers and Leo are on their feet, watching, tensely. "Man, this guy is doing everything he can to shake 'er up, isn't he!" Crow says. "Why is he being like that?" Asks Luna. "He's just making sure that she can take it." Jack says. Skylara is watching, silently, intensely serious. "'Cause if a little pressure throws her off. Then her game'll never pass this test." Says Jack.

Akiza clenches her teeth, steeling herself. Akiza races down a straightaway on the track.

The proctor in hot pursuit.

Akiza's right hand trembles on its handle, as she lets her grip loosen, carefully, reaches over and draws a card. "The first move's mine! I draw!" Akiza says. _"A speed spell! Perfect!"_ Akiza thinks to herself.

"Come on, dumpling! Show me that you've got what it takes to prove all the doubters wrong!" Says the proctor.

"I summon Revival Rose in defense mode!" Akiza says. Revival Rose has 1300 defense points and is a level 4 monster. "And next, I activate the 'Summon Speeder' speed spell!" Says Akiza. "Action prohibited." The computer says. Akiza freezes. "Huh?!" Asks Akiza.

"Huh?! Did she just do what I think she just did?" Crow asks. "Mm-hmm. I guess she forgot that speed spells require some actual speed." Says Jack. _"She's more nervous than I thought."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

 _"Oh, that's right! The whole 'speed counter' thing!"_ Akiza thinks to herself.

They round another curve.

"Stop stalling, make your next move!" The proctor says.

"I, I-I end my turn!" Says Akiza.

They cruise around another corner, past several shelves that hold piles of metal pipes.

"My move, then! I summon, Soldier of Sky in attack mode!" The proctor says. Soldier of Sky has 1600 attack points, 1200 defense points, is a level 4 monster and is a wind monster. The proctor's monster is a female sailor warrior, in a metal armored version of a sailor outfit. "Let's rumble! Go, Soldier of Sky, send her Rose flying!" Says the proctor. Soldier of Sky leaps high into the air and with her sword, slashes down into Revival Rose. "And now Soldier of Sky's special ability activates! After destroying your monster in battle, she can knock you with damage equal to the level of your defeated monster multiplied by one hundred points!" The proctor says.

Soldier of Sky, now soaring behind Akiza, blasts her with damage. Akiza yells out and sways a bit. "Agh!" Says Akiza.

"I slap one card face down and end my turn!" The proctor says.

 _"If I don't get it together I'm done for!"_ Akiza thinks to herself.

"Are ya feelin' the pressure yet, dumpling? Heheh, how'bout now!" Says the proctor. He decelerates back to meet Akiza and nudges her front wheel with his back fin, prodding her off-balance.

Akiza flinches, but stays on. "It's my turn! I draw! And I summon, Twilight Rose Knight!" Akiza says. Twilight Rose Knight has 1000 attack points and is a level 3 monster. "And when Twilight Rose Knight is successfully summoned, it can immediately grant me the ability to summon a level-four-or-below plant-type monster from my hand! So, I'm summoning Lord Poison in attack mode!" Says Akiza. Lord Poison has 1500 attack points and is a level 4 monster.

"Now that's what I'm talkin' about! She's findin' her groove!" Leo says.

"And now Lord Poison gets a tuning from Twilight Rose Knight! I synchro-summon, Black Rose Dragon!" Says Akiza. Black Rose Dragon has 2400 attack points and is a level 8 monster.

"Huh. Pretty good, dumpling. But if you think some overgrown flower lizard's gonna put the fear in me, then you need to get real and get serious!" The proctor says.

"Yeah, well, let's see if you're still saying that after Black Rose Dragon attacks Soldier of Sky!" Says Akiza.

The proctor takes the hit, he's down to 3200 lifepoints. "Rrrgh! Not a good move, dumpling. Not with my 'Final Penalty' trap card on the field!" The proctor says.

"Ah?!" Asks Akiza.

"See, when you destroy one of my monsters in battle you take damage equal to half its attack points and then 'Final Penalty' obliterates your attacking monster!" The proctor says.

Black Rose Dragon shatters, Akiza ducks. Akiza's down to 2800 lifepoints. "Ugh!" Says Akiza.

"Well, so much for the Dragon." Crow says. _"Don't let her get to you, come right back at her!"_ Skylara thinks to herself.

"Since you destroyed one of my monsters, I can summon Revival Rose from my graveyard!" Says Akiza. Revival Rose has 1300 attack points and is a level 4 monster. "Next, I place two cards face down and end my turn!" Akiza says.

"Let the good times roll! By yanking Soldier of Sky from my graveyard and removing her entirely from play, I can bring in backup and summon a warrior monster from my hand! And look who's arriving on the battlefield, another Soldier of Sky!" Says the proctor. Soldier of Sky has 1600 attack points, 1200 defense points, is a level 4 monster and is a wind type monster. "Next, I summon Soldier of Flight in attack mode!" The proctor says. Soldier of Flight has 100 attack points, 600 defense points, is a level 1 monster and is a wind monster. Soldier of Flight is another female warrior, with a fair maiden sort of look to her. "And since these two just love working together, I think I'll tune my Soldier of Flight with my Soldier of Sky, in order to synchro-summon the Warrior of Air!" Says the proctor. Warrior of Air has 2200 attack points and is a level 5 monster. The proctor's Warrior of Air is a warrior, with a jungle woman kind of vibe. "Time for some brutality! Warrior of Air, uproot that Revival Rose!" The proctor says.

Revival Rose is destroyed.

"But I'm not done there!" Says the proctor.

Akiza gasps.

"I'm sure you've heard about soldiers teaming up to play 'good cop, bad cop', right? Well, Warrior of Air prefers to play 'bad cop, bad cop'! When she successfully destroys your monster in battle, she gains eight hundred attack points, and then attacks you again!" The proctor says. Warrior of Air's new attack point total is 3000.

"Oh no! She's got twenty-eight-hundred lifepoints, if he lands this attack then it's all over!" Says Yusei.

"Hahahahahahahahaha! Now, I attack you directly!" The proctor says.

Warrior of Air turns around and goes after Akiza. "I activate the 'Offensive Guard' trap card! When you attack me directly, I can use the power of 'Offensive Guard' to halve the attack points of your monster until the end phase of this turn! And then I can draw another card from my deck!" Says Akiza. Now Warrior of Air's attack points read 1500. A barrier appears around Akiza, deflecting most of the damage, she's down to 1300 lifepoints.

"Come on! You survived that attack?! Well, my turn's not over yet. And I'm activating the speed spell 'Speed Demon'! When I have three speed counters, I can use 'Speed Demon' to knock you with a thousand points of damage!" The proctor says.

Akiza's lifepoints fall to 300. "Ugh!" Says Akiza.

"Well, she's still hangin' on, but not by very much." Crow says.

The proctor places a face down, Warrior of Air's attack points go back up to 2200. "This is your last chance to turn things around!" Says the proctor.

"Well in that case, I will! I summon Witch of the Black Rose!" Akiza says. Witch of the Black Rose has 1700 attack points and is a level 4 monster. "When I successfully summon this monster to my field, I get to draw another card from my deck! But if the card I draw's not a monster card, then Witch of the Black Rose'll be destroyed. I draw! And it's Dark Verger, so my Witch is safe!" Says Akiza.

"Hm! Safe, but useless." The proctor says.

"Huh?" Asks Akiza.

"I play 'Air Element Barricade'! This trap can activate when you summon a monster, and once it does I can seal that monster away for the rest of this turn!" The proctor says.

Witch of the Black Rose gets sealed inside a translucent navy blue cube, with wind swirling around.

"But that's not the only piece of bad news I have for you, dumpling. For every level-four-or-below monster you have on your field, 'Air Element Barricade' dishes out five hundred points of damage! So like I said earlier, this is your last chance to turn things around!" Says the proctor.

 _"I've got four speed counters."_ Akiza thinks to herself. "Let's see if I can turn things around with the 'Summon Speeder' speed spell! This spell allows me to summon another monster from my hand." Akiza says. Dark Verger has 0 attack points, 1000 defense points, is a level 2 monster and is an earth type monster.

 _"I think I like where this duel is going, Akiza."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

"You may've stopped Witch of the Black Rose from attacking, but I can still use her to synchro-summon! So now she gives Dark Verger a tune-up! I synchro-summon Splendid Rose!" Says Akiza. Splendid Rose has 2200 attack points and is a level 6 monster. Splendid Rose is a nimble, graceful, blonde warrior, with a skintight suit half black, half bright green, thorn-like spikes around the hips, and several vines that whip out from behind her, gracefully. Her boots are sprouting up flower petals around her ankles. "Next, I activate Splendid Rose's special ability! By taking a plant monster from my graveyard and removing it entirely from play, I can cut back the attack points of a monster on the field by half! Your Warrior of Air just got a little weaker!" Akiza says. One of Splendid Rose's vines grabs the proctor's monster around her middle, she screams. "And with that, Splendid Rose attacks Warrior of Air! Whip it!" Says Akiza.

Splendid Rose whips around another of her vines and deals a destructive blow to the proctor's monster, and his lifepoints, he's down to 2100. "Too little, too late!" The proctor says.

"I'm not done, there's more where that came from!" Says Akiza.

"There is?" The proctor asks.

"I reveal my trap card, 'Blossom Bombardment'!" Says Akiza.

When your plant-type monster destroys a monster in battle, 'Blossom Bombardment' deals damage equal to half the destroyed monster's attack points.

"Now, get ready for my Splendid Rose to prune your lifepoints down to size!" Akiza says.

The proctor is now down to 1000 lifepoints. "Very clever!" Says the proctor.

"Dude, what if this girl actually wins this?" "Not gonna happen!" Streaks shows them his little remote control. "Huh?" "Time for the demolition derby!"

A hand grabs the guy by the wrist, he looks and it's Skylara and she is completely enraged right now. "You press that button, I shall send you into those pipes myself." Skylara says. He then stands up, getting in her face. "Like I'm going to listen to some girl." He presses the remote's single button. "You are going to regret that!" Says Skylara.

The proctor and Akiza are rounding the corner next to the shelves of pipes. Several small explosions erupt, severing the connection between the shelves and their vertical supports, bringing the shelves and their stacks of metal pipes, crashing down and cascading onto the track, right in front of Akiza. "Huh?!" Akiza asks.

"Akiza!" Says Skylara.

Jack, still seated, notices the glee of the guys sitting a few seats away from himself.

"Heheh, take that, loser!" That just enrages Skylara more, she then tries punching the guy right in the face, only he deflects it and grabs her incoming fist. "I told you before, we ain't the kind of guys to mess with." He then starts squeezing down hard, actually managing to make Skylara react a bit.

Jack instantly gets up at that point, grabbing his wrist, squeezing down really hard on his wrist, making him release Skylara. Jack then puts himself between them, as if he's a shield or a wall. "You mess with 'er, you have to deal with me." Jack says.

Akiza dodges one pipe that flies past her head, then another. "Oh! Oh!" Says Akiza.

The proctor, riding ahead, doesn't even glance back. _"Well, that's not good!_ _B_ _ut if she can't react fast enough, then she's not cut out to be a turbo-duelist!"_ The proctor thinks to himself.

Akiza can barely see, surrounded by a cloud of obscuring dust, until she sees another pipe falling straight toward her head. Akiza weaves and dodges, as pipes fly past her. "Ohh! I can do this!" Akiza says.

Flashback, series of still shots. First, Akiza clings to Yusei's arms, as he coaxes her onto the skating floor. "It's all about anticipation." Says Yusei.

Second, Akiza grabs one of Yusei's arms for balance, nearly causing her to fall.

Third, Yusei and Akiza skate side-by-side, both smiling, triumphantly. Yusei hovers just within reach, prepared to steady Akiza. "I know you can do this, Akiza! Just trust yourself!" Yusei says. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. _"_ _Yusei_ _'s right, and it's time I prove it!"_ Akiza thinks to herself. There's a pipe falling straight down towards her head. Akiza presses a button on the end of her left-hand grip with her thumb, depresses the left-side pedal and rides out the storm of pipes, weaving side-to-side, flipping around backwards than forward again, dodging with nimble precision. Akiza flips around backward again, as she comes out of it and just keeps gliding backward.

Akiza's three classmates gasp, amazed.

The twins cheer. "Look at her go!" Says Luna. "I knew she could do it." Skylara says.

Akiza swings around to ride forward again, gaining on the proctor once more.

"Where did you learn how to ride like that?" Asks the proctor.

The sunlight sparkles across Akiza's visor like lightning, accentuating her fierce, determined eyes. Akiza is no longer afraid or uncertain. "Boy, you're goin' down! I activate Splendid Rose's special ability! By removing a plant monster in my graveyard from play, I can empower Splendid Rose to attack again with half its attack points! And since you don't have any monsters out on your field, Splendid Rose attacks you! Go, Aerial Twist!" Akiza says.

Splendid Rose back-flips into the air, spins herself into a whirlwind of thorns and petals, and comes flying right at the proctor, taking out the rest of his lifepoints. The front vent on his runner pops open, expelling steam. He stops. "Good job, dumpling!" Says the proctor.

Akiza takes off her helmet and looks at him, anxiously.

"You passed the test." The proctor says.

Akiza's face lights up with joy.

The twins are laughing and cheering. "Nice." Says Skylara. "That's our girl!" Crow says.

Jack straightens up, scowling, turns and walks away. "Next time, leave my friend alone and never mess with my girl again." Says Jack.

Behind him, Streaks and his buddies are much the worse for wear, sprawled haplessly on the ground or even hanging backward over the back of the seats.

From a distance, a vantage point at a roadside with a clear view of the track. Sherry LeBlanc has been watching from astride her fiery, white runner. _"It would seem zat all ze pieces are gathering on ze board!"_ Sherry thinks to herself. She presses a button on the side of her helmet, closing her visor and the grille below it, pauses and then rides away.

Akiza walks up to Skylara and her friends, with her helmet under one arm.

Michiru is standing over by the proctor.

"Hey you. How does it feel to be an official turbo-duelist?" Skylara asks. She offers a hand and Akiza clasps it, eyes shining. "Great. Just, great." Says Akiza.

They then all walk over towards Michiru and the proctor. "You dueled well, Akiza." The proctor says. "Thanks, so did you." Says Akiza. "Akiza, this is Michiru Kaiou. She's an old friend of mine." Skylara says. "Pleasure to finally meet you, Akiza." Says Michiru. "Nice to meet you." Akiza says. Skylara glances over at the proctor. "And you, I think it is safe to reveal yourself to the others." Says Skylara. "Of course. Anything for you, Skylara." The proctor says. "How do you know this guy, Skylara?" Asks Crow. "You never asked if I did." Skylara says. The proctor steps off of his runner and removes his helmet.

The guys, Luna and Akiza are all agape at what they just found out. The proctor is a fair-skinned woman, with short, pale blonde hair. Her height appears to be 5'9" and she seems to be the same age as Skylara, Yusei and Michiru, nineteen. "What? Skylara, why didn't you tell us?" Asks Crow. "You never asked me if he was a she. You guys, this is Michiru's partner, Haruka Tenou." Says Skylara. "You're actually a woman?" Akiza asks. "That's right, I hope you don't mind that I'm a girl." Says Haruka.

Sometime later. The guys, Luna and Akiza have all headed home.

Skylara stayed behind to catch up with Michiru and Haruka. Only all three look very serious. "Something is happening again, isn't it?" Skylara asks. "My mirror's been showing me some evil signs lately. I think she's back." Says Michiru. "Who is it?" Skylara asks. "The last one we ever fought and saved the world from. The final battle we almost lost." Says Haruka. "My nightmares have been showing me her. I have been feeling her presence lately, since her and I are very much connected." Skylara says. "You and her are almost the same exact person." Says Michiru. "Just three differences. Your hair color, eye color and most of all your powers. As in your new powers, as a Signer." Haruka says. "And you have scars now, she doesn't." Says Michiru. "I sort of figured that, since she has to stay so perfect. She's my opposite. I shall help you, only I do this my way and a different way. I am not going to rely on my Sailor Guardian powers, when I have my Signer powers." Skylara says. "We understand." Says Michiru. "And we'll be there alongside you, once again. Just remember, even if we aren't together, you can still rely on us to aid you power wise." Haruka says.

There's a quick flash and when Skylara turns to look at them again, they're different. They're in Sailor uniforms. "Thank you for your consideration, Sailor Neptune." Says Skylara. Michiru is actually Sailor Neptune. "And Sailor Uranus, thank you for going easy on Akiza today. This meant the world to her." Skylara says. Haruka is actually Sailor Uranus. Both Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus bow down to one knee in front of Skylara. "Always at your command." Says Sailor Uranus. "And always reliable and willing to serve under you." Sailor Neptune says. "This isn't the past anymore. You don't have to treat me like my old Princess self anymore." Says Skylara. They then stand up and walk away into the sunset.

Skylara watches them go. _"If she_ _'_ _s back, then I better be_ _ready._ _I_ _a_ _m going to need all the help I can get. I nearly lost to her the last time we fought and I_ _can'_ _t let her do the same thing this time."_ Skylara thinks to herself.


	12. Chapter 12

_Chapter 12: Syd Is Vicious_

Late night in New Domino City. In a narrow alleyway, looks like mostly stores or industrial buildings. "So Jack, anyone try to sell you any duel runners recently?" Carly asks. "No." Says Jack. "Bummer!" Carly says. "That's an odd question. Why do you ask?" Asks Jack. "I'm trying to crack a story!" Carly says. Her and Jack peer out from behind a corner, she has her camera and they're both silent.

Flashback. Jack and Carly are sitting at their usual table outside the cafe, in broad daylight. "Apparently, there's some sort of organized gang running around the city and stealing duel runners! I'm actually not surprised that you don't know about this! So, according to my source." Says Carly. She leans a little closer to Jack. "Sector Security doesn't know who's behind it or how they're smuggling the runners out of the city, and they're all embarrassed, so they're trying to keep it hush-hush. The current theory is that whoever's stealing the runners is selling them on the black market, but they don't know that for sure." Carly says, whispering behind her hand. "Very interesting." Says Jack. "I'm staking out a dealership tonight, wanna tag along?" Carly asks. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Look." Says Carly, whispering. "Huh?" Jack asks. They see a group of toughs hurrying across the alleyway ahead.

The thieves smash something, clip some wires and smash in a console screen before the security alarm can sound more than once.

Carly gasps.

The thieves each grab a runner, now freed of the restrictive mechanical devices keeping them there and peel out down the alleyway, four or five in all.

"Coming through!" Says Jack. Carly turns. Jack roars out from behind their corner on his runner, chasing after them.

"Jack!" Carly says. _"Skylara's going to kill me if something bad happens to you."_ Carly thinks to herself.

"Ahahahah! That was easy!"

"Hey! You!" Says Jack.

"Huh?" The runner thieves look up.

Jack and his runner have just jumped the side of the highway directly above, sailing down on them. "Where d'you think you're going with those duel runners! Didn't your mommies teach you not to take what isn't yours?!" Jack asks. He lands on the road behind the pack of five stolen runners.

The leader of the gang, his vest flapping open in the wind to reveal a bare chest, keeps gripping his runner controls with his right arm and aims a pistol right at Jack with his left.

Only before he can pull the trigger, the sound of a runner engine can be heard and a familiar black duel runner, with its futuristic style, shows up and rides right in between both Jack and the leader of the thieves, and stops.

Jack then brakes right away, stopping just short of the runner. "Well, Syd. I thought this was all your doing, stealing duel runners." Says Skylara.

"Always were a thorn in my side, weren't ya Skylara? Not anymore! Bug off, ya little pest!" Syd says. "Ugh! Don't do it! Syd, stop!" At the last moment, the member of the runner-stealing gang, who just spoke up, gets between Skylara, Jack and the laser shot with his runner, and takes the hit. The runner he's riding explodes, creating a big cloud of smoke. "Aaaghh!" The thief who just got shot hits the ground, rolling over several times.

"Kaz, no!" Says Skylara. She then jumps off of her runner and runs towards him.

While the rest of the group rides on. "Heh! I guess we're down a member!"

Jack then jumps off, running toward the man who just crashed. "Hey! Pal!" Jack says. He runs over and kneels, gripping the man's shoulder and side, while his head is lying on Skylara's lap. "Are you okay? Why did you go and protect us?! C'mon, say something!" Says Jack. He then glances over at Skylara, a little surprised that she's even here. "What're you doing here, Skylara?" Jack asks. Skylara looks up at him. "I should be asking you that." Says Skylara.

Right next to where Jack kneels, a car pulls up. "Jack?! Skylara?!" Trudge asks. He climbs out of the car, pauses, then reacts with alarm. "Trudge, there's this gang, and they…" Says Jack. Trudge gasps. "Kaz!" Trudge says. He kneels on the fallen man's other side, suddenly worried and panicked. "Hang in there, buddy! Medical's on the way!" Says Trudge. He then turns to Jack. "What're you doing here, Jack?! What's going on?! What happened to my officer?!" Trudge asks, angrily. "This bloke is an officer?!" Asks Jack.

Sometime later, at the New Domino Hospital. "Do you know what you've done, Atlas?!" Trudge asks. They're standing in the hallway outside the operating room, with the red light on above the doorway signaling that surgery is in process. Trudge is gripping Jack's lapels. "You've landed a good officer in a coma and blown a very important case!" Says Trudge, furiously. Carly tries to defend Jack. "W-what was Kaz even doing with them? My inside sources told me that you guys had, like, no leads at all!" Carly says, nervously. Trudge shoves away from her and Jack and stands alone in the middle of the hallway, tense and fuming. Yusei is leaning against the wall and Crow is sitting on a bench nearby. "Rrgh, that's what we wanted the rumor to be, we wanted Syd to be comfortable so that he would think he was getting away with it! Syd Farlow and his gang of grunts are the little fish and we're trying to catch the big fish!" Says Trudge.

In the operating room, three doctors and two nurses, all in full scrubs and masks, are working away, quietly. "We need to know where the money trail leads, who's controlling the black market. And I figured out that the only one who knows that is Skylara. I don't know if any of you were aware, but way before she started working under Goodwin, she used to be involved with gangs and Syd's gang was her most well known one. She said that she cut-off all ties with them shortly before Leo and Luna came into her life and started working for Goodwin. I asked her for help in revealing the person, only she wouldn't tell me. But she said she would help us out, so Kaz went undercover, under Skylara's guidance and knowledge, he spent months pretending to be one of them, getting closer to Syd." Trudge says, in voice-over. Young, slate-haired officer Kaz is unconscious, unmoving, breathing through a mask. "Gaining his trust, gathering info and putting the pieces together." Says Trudge, in voice-over.

Sometime later. All five of them stand around Kaz's bed, as he convalesces, still unconscious. "So he was your only inside guy? And without 'im your case goes cold?" Crow asks. "Pretty much. We still don't know where they're taking the runners, how they're getting 'em." Says Trudge. Jack looks down at the table and sees a dueling deck, with a synchro monster on top, clearly the deck must belong to officer Kaz. Jack picks up this top card, glimpsing 'Mirror Force' underneath it. "Jack, what're you doing?" Yusei asks. "I'm gonna borrow this card." Says Jack. "Borrow it for what? Don't mess things up more than you already have!" Trudge says. "Jack, let's just call it a day!" Says Carly. "Yeah, don't run out and do something dumb!" Crow says.

Jack pauses in the doorway and looks back over his shoulder. "Don't worry about me. This is my mess, I'm gonna clean it up." Says Jack.

"Hang on, Jack!" Carly says. "Don't do dumb stuff! Jack! Ugh!" Says Crow. Yusei remains silent.

Jack is walking down the hallway, he then turns and finds Skylara, standing on a balcony of some kind, leaning against the railing, looking a bit troubled. Jack then walks over towards Skylara. "Skylara, you okay?" Jack asks.

"What is it that you want, Jack?" Asks Skylara.

"Nothing, I was just making sure you were okay." Jack says.

"Well, I'm fine." Says Skylara.

"No your not, I can tell by your tone." Jack says. He's already right next to Skylara by now and touches her hand that's trembling. "Is it this gang? If so, can't you tell me…" Says Jack. "I can't tell you or anyone anything about them." Skylara says. "And why can't you?" Asks Jack. "Because, I am sworn to secrecy. If I say anything about the past or what their intentions are, they'll kill me. You don't know all the horrible things they did to me." Skylara says. She then turns around and faces Jack, leaning into his chest, shaking with possibly either fear or anger. Jack wraps his arms around Skylara and holds her close to himself, brushing his fingers through the waves of her hair. "What did they do to you, love?" Asks Jack. Skylara's trying to fight back her tears. "Jack, you may think Kalin was the only one who raped me. However, that's not true." Skylara says. Jack's eyes widen, in sudden realization. "Kalin was just the first. Syd was the second. He did it more than once, he did it a few more times after the first time." Says Skylara. Tears soon start to shed down her cheeks. "He even let his gang mates force themselves on me. I lost count how many times I have been raped." Skylara says. Jack just holds Skylara close to himself. "I'm so sorry, love. I assure you, I'd never force you into doing anything you don't feel comfortable doing." Says Jack. Skylara looks up at him. Jack then wipes away Skylara's tears. "I love you, Skylara. I always have and I don't ever want to lose you again." Jack says. "I love you too, Jack." Says Skylara. She then leans Jack into a kiss and he returns it back to her. Their lips soon separate. "Listen, I have to go after Syd and his gang. And you're possibly my only hope in doing so. I don't want to put you in that position, you don't have to come with me." Jack says. "I'm coming with you." Says Skylara.

A narrow street has been transformed into a seedy-looking market, open garage doors forming its awnings. "Ya know where I can sell some duel runners on the down-low?" Jack asks. The shady individual he is talking to regards him with a crooked smirk under his crooked, pockmarked nose. Skylara stays right at Jack's side, she has her black cloak once again, with the hood over her head, shadowing the upper half of her face. Skylara stays quiet the whole time. "Depends on where these runners came from." Jack picks up what looks like an old muffler from this vendor's large container of spare parts. "I think they might've fallen off the back of a truck or something." Says Jack. "What a shame! I might know someone who can take 'em off your hands. How much would that info be worth to you?" "I'd say it's worth about, ten percent?" Jack asks. "Hmph. That sounds about right, gimme one sec." He rummages in another container. Jack sets the muffler down and approaches the vendor. He offers Jack a small white card over his shoulder, casually. "Heheheh. Ya didn't get this from me." Jack takes the card and walks away. "Of course not." Says Jack.

The vendor glances over his shoulder to make sure him and Skylara have left, then quickly dials his cell phone.

They both continue to walk the market, and are oblivious of the vendor's phone conversation.

"Yeah?" "It's me. I got someone diggin' around. Sent 'im your way."

Jack looks at the writing on the slip of paper.

"Be sure to give 'im a warm welcome!"

Elsewhere disreputable in the City. _"That slimeball's directions say that there should be a door here at the end of this alley. Something's not right."_ Jack thinks to himself. Skylara's got her normal long coat back on by now.

Then five thugs drop from above and land on the ground around them, an ambush. "Surprise!" "We heard you was askin' about the black market." "Snoopin' around where ya shouldn't be snoopin' is bad for ya health!" All five of the thugs laugh. One of them, with a chevron-shaped forehead mark from the Facility, runs at Jack, raising a long metal pipe. Jack dodges, kicks the next guy and punches the next, all five are soon in a pileup at his feet. "Take me to the guy in charge of this little circus!" Jack says.

"How 'bout we take you down instead!"

Jack looks up, there's one more guy, who must've stayed on the roof above, jumping down on him with pipe in hand. He lands a hit to Jack's head and he goes down, unconscious.

"Jack!" Says Skylara. The one who hit Jack, aims a gun right at her. He sets the gun to a certain setting and blasts Skylara with it, and she goes down, out cold.

The other five guys are already back on their feet.

Darkness. "Is he awake?" Yusei asks.

Jack opens his eyes. Yusei, Carly and Crow are standing over Jack, looking worried. "He's moving." Says Crow. "Jack, you with us?!" Carly asks. Jack sits up. Jack's in a bed, with bandages wrapped around his head. "Where am I?" Asks Jack. "I told ya not to go an' do anything dumb, and what didja do? Ya went an' ya did something dumb! I hate to say 'I toldya so', but well, ya know." Crow says. Carly is a little choked up. "I'm just glad you're okay! I was so worried about you, Jack!" Says Carly. "I remember the face of the huckster who set me up. I can prob'ly get to Syd through him." Jack says. "Whaddayou talking about! There's no 'gettin' to Syd', you are not an officer!" Says Crow.

"Look, Jack. I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I can see that you wanna do right and all, but you don't know what you're getting yourself into! This Syd Farlow character is a dangerous customer! You're lucky to be sitting up, most guys who cross Syd end up like Kaz." Trudge says.

"Huh?" Asks Jack.

Flashback. In a rush Jack recalls the crash, and how officer Kaz risked himself to protect Skylara and him. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "And what about Kaz?" Jack asks.

"Mm?" Asks Trudge.

"Is he lucky?" Jack asks.

"'Course he is! I mean, yeah, he, uh, he hasn't gained consciousness yet, but he's as tough as they come." Says Trudge.

"Knock it off, pal! Stop playin' 'cops and robbers'! Sector Security is on this, just leave the professional work to the professionals." Crow says. Jack gets out of bed and walks toward the door.

"Uhh, where ya goin'?" Asks Crow. "Let 'im go." Yusei says. "But, Yusei." Says Crow. "Come on, Crow. You know how Jack is once he decides to get on a 'dignity' kick. He becomes immune to common sense!" Yusei says.

As Jack leaves the hospital ward, he takes the bandage off of his head and throws it on the ground.

Night at the market Jack and Skylara visited earlier. A pair of guys are finishing loading crates onto a truck. "And one R-four engine." "That's the last of 'em, Gus. Let's get these back to Syd!" "Roll it out, boys!"

As the truck begins to move, someone steps in front of it, purposefully.

Gus, the driver, same man who gave him 'directions' earlier, panics and brakes. "Huh? Rrgh!"

Of course, it's Jack who stopped the truck. Jack is not in a good mood. "Real cute prank you played this afternoon." Says Jack.

"Whatsamatter? Didja not get enough?"

"Take me to Syd now!" Jack says. He opens the driver's-side door and grabs Gus by the collar. Then they're lit up by more headlights. Gus chuckles, Jack's been outflanked again. "Hahaha! I ain't takin' you to Syd, but you can play with all his friends if you want!"

The 'friends' are a legion of mean-looking brutes on undoubtedly stolen runners. The one at the head of the group is snickering, unpleasantly. "Hey, aren't you that Jack Atlas dude?" Another rider. "Yeah, this joker used to be some kind of fancy champion!" Another. "Well, then, let's show our respect!" As one, the guys on runners stand up, climb off and rush Jack. The guys from the truck are already surrounding Jack from behind. Jack punches one hard in the face, elbows a second coming up behind, steps aside for a third to slam into the truck, kicks a guy in the stomach, who's approaching with a pipe, and doesn't see a second pipe-wielder jumping up behind him. And Jack hits the pavement again, unconscious.

"Awww, he's conked out already!" "That didn't last very long!" "Let's get outta here!" The truck and ten or so runners all start up and drive away, leaving Jack lying in the street knocked out. "Stay away, loser!" "Enjoy the nap, pal!"

Once all of them are gone, Jack raises his head, shakily, squinting through one eye, his face scratched and hair smudged with dirt.

Sitting atop a platform on the water. Syd's operation is a large building that looks like a factory or warehouse. "I hate to be sayin' this, boss. But with more and more people pokin' around lately, I think we might wanna start thinkin' about ditchin' New Domino City." Says Gus.

"Probably a good call, Gussy." Syd says.

Gus turns, from the look on his face, he probably doesn't like being called that.

Syd is sitting in the middle of the factory floor on a nasty-looking folding metal chair, but he's the only person in the room who's sitting down. With his helmet off, he's got serious-looking tracking dye running down both cheeks and a huge scar or tuft of hair on his bald head. "Huh. Besides, I can't imagine this crummy city's got that many duel runners left for us to take!" Says Syd.

"What should we do about the girl then, boss?" Gus asks.

"Leave her to me." Says Syd.

Just then, he hears a runner engine rev and turns.

"Hmm?! Jack Atlas?!" Syd asks.

Jack is sitting on his own duel runner, at the top of the highest conveyor belt platform and he apparently heard what Syd just said.

"How did you find this place?!" Gus asks.

"You led me straight here!" Says Jack.

"Huh?" Gus asks. He looks at his vest and then searches around his collar with one hand, and finds, on the back of his shirt collar, a little metal disk with a blinking red light. "A transmitter?! You mean, when you was grabbin' at me, you!" Says Gus.

Flashback. Jack pulls open the driver's side door and grabs the front of Gus's shirt, that must be when he planted the transmitter. The flashback ends.

Syd is on his feet, pistol in hand. There is a ten-foot radius around poor Gus, nobody else wants to be anywhere near him, lest they end up between him and Syd. "How couldja be so stupid, Gus!" Syd says.

"I-I-I'm sorry, boss." Says Gus.

"Leave this loser to us, Syd. Let's get 'im, boys!" All the thugs rush for Jack, who revs his engine.

"You!" Syd says.

Jack's wheel bounces right across Syd's hand, disarming him and probably breaking that gun. Jack arcs around onto the floor and brakes. "The game is up, Syd! I've contacted Security and given 'em this location! They'll be here any minute now with bells on. And where's Skylara? I know you have her and you're going to give her back to me!" Says Jack.

"Rrrghh!" Gus growls under his breath.

"Huhuhuh! Well, I guess that's it, then!" Syd says. He raises his arms, mockingly. "I give up! Consider this my red hand wavin' my white flag! Boys, bring me the girl!" Says Syd.

"Huh?"

"You heard me! Go get the girl and bring her to me!" Syd says.

"Okay, boss." Two of the thugs leave to follow Syd's orders.

"However, proposition. Hows'bout you and I have us a duel before our guests arrive!" Says Syd.

"You're challenging me?" Jack asks.

"That's right, but not in an ordinary duel. When you're in Syd's house, ya gotta play by Syd's rules! We'll duel on these conveyor belts, lose some lifepoints and ya move closer to the trash compactor! Run outta lifepoints an' into the trash compactor ya go, an' well, heheh, that ain't gonna feel too good." Syd is already standing on one conveyor belt.

Jack stands on a platform that runs perpendicular to it, slanting upward. "You're daft!" Says Jack.

Syd snaps his fingers and two of the thugs bring Skylara over to him.

"Skylara." Jack says.

"Jack, don't listen to him." Says Skylara.

"Huh?" Jack asks.

Syd takes Skylara from the two thugs that brought her to him and holds her from behind, one of his arms wrapped around her arms, keeping them both pinned back, and his other arm wrapped around her waist.

"Let 'er go, Syd!" Says Jack.

"Hmm. I could just easily take her right in front of you. But, I'll wait until you fall into that trash compactor. For now, I'll just hold onto her through the duel." Syd says.

"Syd!" Says Jack.

"What's it gonna be? Look, I ain't gonna bend your arm or nothin', if you're too scared you're too scared. So? Is ya too scared?" Syd asks.

"Hmph! Don't make me laugh! I accept your duel!" Says Jack.

Both duelists' ankles are shackled to the conveyor belts and they are moved backward to a dueling distance.

"Okay! We're buckled in an' ready to ride! An' there ain't no gettin' off until one of us goes over! Ya better hope ya still got it, champ!" Syd says.

"Let's do this!" Says both Jack and Syd. Both duelists start with 4000 lifepoints.

"It's time for me to take out the garbage, champ!" Syd says.

"We'll see about that! I summon Mad Archfiend!" Says Jack. Mad Archfiend has 1800 attack points, 0 defense points and is a level 4 monster. "Next, I'll play a face down and end my turn!" Jack says.

"I'm up then! Hmhmhm! I summon Assault Wheel in attack mode!" Says Syd. Assault Wheel has 2300 attack points and is a level 4 monster.

"Twenty-three-hundred attack points?" Jack asks.

"Thass' right, and Assault Wheel's gonna use every last one of 'em! An' by attackin' Mad Archfiend, Assault Wheel forces it to cower in defense mode!" Says Syd.

Mad Archfiend's defense points are 0.

"Dis situation works out really good for me, 'cause when Assault Wheel attacks a monster in defense mode, the difference in points is dealt directly to you as damage!" Syd says.

"Ahh?" Asks Jack. Mad Archfiend is destroyed and the shards fly into his face, showering him with damage, he's down to 1700 lifepoints in that one attack.

"Hmhmhm! Hey Atlas, I got a joke for ya! What's tall, boring, and minutes away from bein' tossed out with the trash? You!" Syd says.

All the thugs, watching from below, guffaw.

"Aw, thank you, thank you, I'm here all week! Try the veal!" Says Syd.

"Hey Atlas, how does it feel to go from champ to chump!" Gus says.

"I wouldn't start joking around yet if I were you, Syd! I'm just getting warmed up!" Says Jack.

"Huh! Whatever you say! Oh by the way, now that Assault Wheel has attacked a monster, it loses all its attack points until the standby phase of my next turn! So that's it for me!" Syd says. He slaps down two face downs. "Your move, Jack! An' well, you might actually wanna do something this time, champ." Says Syd.

"Thanks for the reminder! I draw! When you've got monsters on your field and there's no monsters on mine, then I can summon Vice Dragon from my hand!" Jack says. Vice Dragon 2000 attack points, 2400 defense points, is a level 5 monster and is a wind type monster. "But when I summon it like that, its attack and defense points are cut in half!" Says Jack. Therefore, Vice Dragon's points now read 1000 attack points and 1200 defense points. "Next I use the 'Polymerization' spell card, and with it I fuse Big Piece Golem and Medium Piece Golem in my hand!" Jack says. Big Piece Golem has 2100 attack points, 0 defense points, is a level 5 monster and is a light type monster. Medium Piece Golem has 1600 attack points, 0 defense points, is a level 4 monster and is an earth type monster. "In order to form Multiple Piece Golem!" Says Jack. Multiple Piece Golem has 2600 attack points and is a level 6 monster. "But I'm not stopping there. I summon Archfiend Interceptor!" Jack says. Archfiend Interceptor has 1400 attack points, 1600 defense points, is a level 4 monster and is a dark type monster. "And now, Multiple Piece Golem! Attack!" Says Jack.

"Dat ain't gonna happen! I activate my 'Nightmare Wheel' trap. Not only does 'Nightmare Wheel' prevent 'cha pathetic Golem from attackin', it also prevents it from changin' battle mode! But that's not the best of it! See, durin' each a' my standby phases, 'Nightmare Wheel' dishes up five hundred points a' direct damage!" Syd says.

"That's assuming you have another standby phase! Vice Dragon, attack!" Says Jack.

"Not so fast, I got another trap! 'Plunder Decoy'! Now, when you attack a monster on my field, I can use this little trap to gain control a' one a' your monsters! Red rover, red rover, send that intercept demon right over!" Syd says. Archfiend Interceptor switches over to his field, right in front of Vice Dragon's claws.

Vice Dragon backs off. "Why, you!" Says Jack.

"Huhuhuhuhuhuhuh! This monster's special ability'll come in handy! 'S long as I got this fine athlete on my field, you get sapped for five hundred points a' damage every time you come at me! So what'll it be? Are ya gonna attack or are ya gonna not?!" Syd asks.

Jack is silent.

"That's what I thought! You're what my gramma'd call a real wimp! An' speakin' a' wimps, how's Officer Kaz? He enjoyin' his bed rest?" Asks Syd.

Flashback. Kaz lies unconscious under a breathing mask. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "You cretin! Just for that remark, I'll take the five hundred points of damage! Do it, Vice Dragon!" Jack says.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! You're gonna end up just like Kaz! Enjoy havin' a taste a' your own monster's special ability!" Says Syd.

Archfiend Interceptor blasts Jack, right in the chest. "Ugh!" Jack says. His lifepoints decrease to 1200 and his conveyor belt recedes further.

"Hahahahahahahaha! Ya closer to the end, my has-been friend!" Says Syd.

"Perhaps, but so're you!" Jack says.

Vice Dragon's attack finally destroys Assault Wheel and Syd's lifepoints decrease to 3000. _"Actually, champ, I'm not. My conveyor belt has a stopper right in front a' the compactor, so even if I lose I'll be just fine! Hehaheh!"_ Syd thinks to himself. Oblivious to him, Skylara heard his thoughts. So, Skylara bashes Syd in the gut with her elbow, hard enough to get him to release her. Now being freed from Syd's hold, Skylara's able to run over to Jack's side.

As soon as Skylara's at his side, Jack keeps her close to himself and now he doesn't have to hold back as much as he was. "You okay? Are you hurt?" Asks Jack. "No, I'm alright." Skylara says. Jack then moves her to stand behind him. "Let us hope for your sake that Sector Security arrives before I defeat you! I end my turn." Says Jack.

"Ahahahahaha! D'you seriously think Sector Security is gonna show up! If you do, you're even dumber than I thought!" Syd says.

"Why's that?!" Asks Jack.

Late night in Domino City. At least two Security cars, plus Yusei and Crow on their runners, stop at the edge of the pier.

A third car joins them.

"So, where's this factory?" Crow asks. "According to the coordinates Jack sent, it should be right in front of us." Says Yusei. "Well, it's not!" Crow says.

Trudge steps out of the driver's side of one of the cars. "According to the pier manifests, there should be a huge tanker docked here." Says Trudge.

"You mean like a boat?" Crow asks. "Guess that tells us how they were smuggling the runners." Says Yusei.

Carly is in the back seat of one of the cars, her window rolled down. "Uhh, if the boat's not here. Where is it?" Carly asks.

The empty, open sea stretches out ahead of them.

Syd's fake factory building is cruising on the open sea. "Wait, what? You're telling me that we're actually on a boat right now? And that we're out to sea?" Asks Jack.

"Yup! This is the Syd Farlow luxury cruise line! Try to relax an' have a good time, an' enjoy yourself, an' don't think too much about how this is, ah, a one-way trip! Now let us continue! I draw! It's time to activate 'Nightmare Wheel's' special ability, during each a' my standby phases you take five hundred points a' damage!" Syd says.

Jack's lifepoints are down to 700 now. Jack's conveyor belt recedes a few more feet.

"An' now, I summon the Cannon Wheel tuner monster to the field!" Says Syd. Cannon Wheel has 500 attack points and is a level 2 monster.

"Infuriating!" Jack says.

"Aww, don't get all upset, Jack! This is how I do things, it's my nature! I mean so what if I stole your intercept demon, at least I use what I've taken! Check it! I synchro-summon, Combat Wheel!" Says Syd.

Combat Wheel is a level-six earth-attribute synchro monster, with twenty-five-hundred attack points, and twelve-hundred defense points.

"An' guess what 'appens when Cannon Wheel is part of a successful synchro-summoning? It dishes out five hundred points of direct damage!" Syd says.

Jack's now down to 200 lifepoints.

"You're almost at the end a' the line, Jack! Next an' last stop is smashville! Hahahahaha!" Says Syd.

Jack glances behind himself, nervously.

"This has been a blast, champ, it really has, but I'm afraid it's time to say ga'bye! Right now! My Combat Wheel is gonna eliminate your Vice Dragon!" Syd says.

"I activate the 'Nightmare Archfiends' trap! With this I can release Vice Dragon!" Says Jack. Vice Dragon evaporates and Combat Wheel's bullets go right through it. "And then summon three Nightmare Archfiend tokens onto your field in attack mode!" Jack says.

Nightmare Archfiend Token has 2000 attack points and is a level 6 monster. "Huh! A narrow escape, champ! But you're just stallin at this point! I'm now activating the 'Block Dugout' spell card! When the combined levels of all the monsters on my field are greater than the combined levels of all the monsters on your field, then you can't attack! So thanks for givin' me three level-six monsters, that was nice a' ya!" Says Syd.

"You're welcome. I summon Sinister Sprocket to the field!" Jack says. Sinister Sprocket has 400 attack points and is a level 1 monster. "And now that it's out n' about, I can tune my Sinister Sprocket with my Multiple Piece Golem, in order to synchro-summon Chaos King Archfiend! This is for you, Kaz!" Says Jack. Chaos King Archfiend is a masked, demonic warrior, graceful and strong, with a mantle of burning flames across the back of his shoulders and long, scythe-like blades attached to his wrists. Chaos King Archfiend has 2600 attack points and is a level 7 monster.

"You managed to obliterate my 'Nightmare Wheel' by getting rid a' Multiple Piece Golem!" Syd says.

"That was just the beginning! When Sinister Sprocket is used to summon a dark-attribute synchro monster, I can use its special ability to destroy one face-up spell or trap card on the field. I hope you weren't too attached to that 'Block Dugout' spell! Looks like you've got nothing to hide behind now!" Says Jack.

"Yeah? That's wha' you think, champ! I activate Combat Wheel's ability! With this I can give half the attack points of all the monsters on my field to Combat Wheel! Game over, champ! Dis is gonna be a crushin' blow, champ! But it's nothin' compared to the crush you'll experience once ya lose! My Combat Wheel is unstoppable! An' because of his special ability, you can't attack any other monster on my field. There's nothing you can do, Atlas! You're done!" Syd says.

"I despise punks like you! You think you can take whatever you want and hurt whoever you want to!" Says Jack.

Flashback. Jack picks up the top card of Kaz's deck, while he lies prone under a breathing mask in the hospital. "Well, not anymore!" Jack says, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "You're done! Chaos King Archfiend, attack Combat Wheel!" Says Jack.

"Huh! Man! When we fall we fall hard, don't we, champ, I mean look at you! You set your only monster on a doomed collision course!" Syd says.

"Not quite! Chaos King Archfiend is gonna be just fine, 'cause when it attacks, it switches your monster's attack and defense points!" Says Jack. Combat Wheel's attack points are 1200.

"Wha?! You mean it's gonna win?!" Syd asks.

"That's right, Syd! It's gonna win!" Says Jack.

Chaos King Archfiend slashes Combat Wheel with one of its fiery blades and destroys it. Syd's lifepoints fall to 1600.

"That's not all! When Combat Wheel is destroyed, due to your Wheel's special ability, all Nightmare Archfiend tokens on your field are destroyed too! And because of Nightmare Archfiend tokens' special ability, you take eight hundred points of damage for each one you destroy! End of the ride, Syd!" Jack says.

"Aaah?!" Asks Syd. The Nightmare Archfiend tokens evaporate, then their remnants form a blast that hits him right in the chest, knocking him over. Syd's lifepoints fall to zero.

The shackle falls off of Jack's ankle.

"Fooled again, champ! Joke's on you! I rigged a stopper on my conveyor belt, I ain't goin' over!" Syd says. He reaches in his pockets for the stopper, only he can't seem to find it. "Where is it?" Asks Syd.

"Looking for this?" Skylara asks. She holds up the stopper.

"How did ya?" Asks Syd.

Skylara drops it on the ground and then steps on it with her heel, shattering the little device.

Syd goes over the edge, screaming, hanging by his ankle from the conveyor belt.

Jack runs toward Syd, across the field.

Syd just barely manages a sort of pull-up, narrowly keeping himself out of the garbage smasher.

Jack grabs Syd by the collar before he can fall. "C'mere, you baby!" Jack says. He lifts Syd up by the collar, snaps the shackle and throws him over the side into the waiting arms of several thugs, knocking all of them over. "That does it! Time to trash that guy!"

Jack and Skylara exchange mischievous glances, and then both jump from where they are. Both knocking at least one out.

When most of his thugs are already down for the count, Syd is about to run out of there when Skylara stands in his way. "Going somewhere? You weren't leaving were you, the fun is just about to start." Says Skylara.

"Really? Well, don't let me spoil your fun. I'll play along with ya, if that's what you want." Syd says. He has a gun, hidden behind his back. "Ya know, maybe I was wrong about you. Maybe Atlas is the type of guy for ya, 'cause I certainly won't be sticking around to watch you endure your suffering." Says Syd. He shoots the gun right at Skylara.

Only, Jack takes the shot for her and falls to the ground, lying motionless, aside from his breathing and painful moans.

"Jack!" Skylara says. She falls to her knees beside Jack, leaning over him, turning him over to lie on his back, gently. Jack lets out a small moan, in pain. "Jack." Says Skylara. She suddenly gets shot in her side. Skylara lets out a scream, in pain, landing on top of Jack's chest, which is still moving up and down.

"You happy now? You can both die here together." Syd says.

Outside. His disguised tanker is surrounded by smaller boats and helicopters, Security has finally arrived on the scene. An armed swat team busts down the door, with Yusei, Crow and Carly waiting behind them. "Huh?" Asks Yusei. They are standing before a large pile of knocked-out thugs. They easily reprehend Syd and take him away, unarming him.

Trudge and a couple of other officers are the first to find Skylara and Jack. Trudge places one of his hands on Skylara's shoulder, seeing that she's still breathing. Skylara's eyes open to meet Trudge's. "Trudge…" Skylara says, weakly. "You're still alive, that's good. You had me worried for a minute. I thought we lost you. Now, what about Jack, is he still...?" Asks Trudge. "Yes, I can still feel his chest moving up and down, but it has been slowing down a bit. I can still hear his heartbeat, as well." Skylara says. "That's good, then we haven't lost either of you." Says Trudge.

Yusei, Crow and Carly then run up behind him and the other officers. "Skylara!" Yusei says. "Did you take out all these guys, by yourself?" Asks Carly. "No, Jack did it all. He saved my life." Skylara says.

Sometime later. Jack finally comes to, he's lying on his back, in his bed at home. Jack sits up, slowly, reaching a hand to the bandages wrapped around his chest. The lights are out in the room and its still night. Jack turns to look over to his left side, to find Skylara asleep on her side of the bed. Jack turns to lie on his side, gently, and moves himself closer to Skylara. Jack then kisses Skylara on the forehead, softly, being careful not to wake her.

Only, that turns out not to be the case. "Jack." Says Skylara. When Jack ends the kiss, he turns his attention to her, now that he ended up waking her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." Jack says. "I'm glad you have finally awakened. Everyone has been worried sick about you." Says Skylara. "Worried about me, for what?" Jack asks. "Don't you remember what happened back at Syd's?" Asks Skylara. "I remember beating Syd in a duel and beating his cronies senseless and then the last thing I knew, everything went dark." Jack says. "You were shot, Jack. Syd shot you and you got hurt pretty badly." Says Skylara. "I was what?" Jack asks. "You were shot." Says Skylara. She places one of her hands against Jack's chest, gently, where the bullet hit. "You were shot right here. Why do you think you have those bandages wrapped around you?" Skylara asks. Jack places one of his hands on the one that's against his chest. "I remember now. I got in the way of Syd's shot towards you, in order to protect you from harm." Says Jack. He then sits himself up, holding a hand to his chest where he got shot, able to feel the wound. "Jack, are you alright?" Skylara asks. "I guess, the only thing that matters is that I'm alive." Says Jack. Skylara sits herself up, closing the distance between them. "Yes, I'm glad that you are still alive. If you would have died, I don't know what I would do if that happened. I would probably feel lost without you in my life." Skylara says. Jack then turns his attention to her, only now just realizing what has just been revealed. Skylara has bandages wrapped around her chest to her waist, securely. "Skylara, what happened to you?" Asks Jack. Skylara then realizes and tries to hide it behind the blanket. "Syd did manage to shoot you, didn't he?" Jack asks. "Yes, but it wasn't your fault. When you got hit, you ended up blacking out. I was busy trying to make sure you were alright. So, I ended up letting my guard down and he managed to hit me, as well." Says Skylara. She just lets the blanket fall off this time, knowing she can't hide it from Jack anymore. "Where did you…?" Jack asks. Skylara grabs at one of his hands and places it where she got hit. "It is nothing serious, yours was worse than mine." Says Skylara. "I'm sorry. I should've been able to protect you, but I wasn't strong enough to do that." Jack says. He now has tears streaming down his cheeks, his eyes hidden by his hair. "I can't do anything right, I'm not strong enough to do anything." Says Jack. He leans himself closer to Skylara, placing his head against her chest. Skylara holds Jack's head in her arms, brushing her fingers through his spiky, blonde hair. "Jack, that is not true at all. None of it. Your one of the strongest guys I know. Listen, you came back for me when Syd had me held captive. You saved my life, Jack." Skylara says. Jack opens his eyes, regarding what she said. Jack then moves to look Skylara in the eyes. "That was enough." Says Skylara. She lies herself back on her side of the bed. Jack follows, lying on his side beside Skylara again. Jack lies his head on Skylara's chest, gently, closing his eyes to listen to her heartbeat. "You see. Until my heart stops beating, then that shall truly be my time." Skylara says. Jack takes his head off of her chest, facing her again. "You failed nothing, my heart still beats so I am still very much alive. I continue to live with the love I have for you and the love that you give right back." Says Skylara. She lies her head against Jack's chest, while he wraps his arms around her. "I love you, too. You're my love, my heart." Jack says. "I know. Your chest is warm." Says Skylara. She then falls asleep in Jack's arms and lies against his chest.

 _"Don_ _'_ _t worry, I won_ _'_ _t let anyone hurt you again. I promise you, love."_ Jack thinks to himself. He pulls the blanket over them and kisses Skylara on top of her head.

Day, outside the New Domino hospital. Jack offers the card Chaos King Archfiend. "I believe this belongs to you, Officer Kaz." Jack says. "My card!" Says Kaz. He wears a bandage around his head and a cast on his left leg, leaning on a crutch, but he's awake and recovering. Kaz accepts the card. Skylara, Yusei, Crow and Trudge are standing with them. "It was because of that, that I was able to win. And retrieve back what is precious to me." Jack says. He glances over at Skylara, who's standing right next to him. Jack then reaches for Skylara's hand and holds onto it, lacing his fingers with hers. "I gotta say, Jack. It's a great thing you've done for the city, catching Syd's gang." Says Kaz. "Someone had to, since your lot couldn't do it!" Jack says, teasing. "Ohh, lay off, will ya? But seriously though, thanks to the info we uncovered on that tanker, we were able to make twenty more arrests and seriously cripple the black market." Says Trudge. "Glad I could help." Jack says. "So whaddaya say, Jack? After I heal up a little bit, will you honor me with a turbo-duel?" Asks Kaz. "I never turn down a duel! You just name the time and the place and I'll be there." Jack says. Kaz nods. "Hmm. You got it!" Says Kaz. They clasp hands, warmly.


	13. Chapter 13

_Chapter 13: Dawn Of The Duel Board: Part 1_

A bright sunny day somewhere on the dueling tracks of New Domino City.

Akiza races past.

Then Skylara races by, several feet behind her.

They're in the middle of a turbo-duel.

Akiza keeps riding, resolutely, then glances over her shoulder at Skylara, warily.

"I play Flameslinger's ability! It takes your Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis and removes it from the duel." Skylara says. Her Flameslinger lets fly an arrow of fire, which hits Akiza's Amaryllis, both arrow and monster disappear.

"Ugh!" Says Akiza.

"And now, I shall attack you directly!" Skylara says. The next arrow Flameslinger shoots looks decidedly more solid.

It strikes the back of Akiza's runner and her lifepoints decrease from 4000 to 1700. Akiza's runner rocks and sways, struggling for balance, sparks are shooting from around her wheels as she skids and loses ground. "Gah! Agh!" Says Akiza.

"Easy, Akiza! You need to work with your duel runner, let it steer you as much as you steer it!" Skylara says.

Akiza seems to have regained control, even though she is sweating a bit behind her helmet. Akiza toggles her grips and speeds up, slightly uncertain, then confident again.

The two of them zoom around another curve.

Somewhere nearby, the twins are cheering from a stand of bleachers. They're two of few people who find themselves there just now. "Yeah! All right!" Says Leo.

Akiza winks and throws them a salute, as the two runners zoom past and into another lap.

"Akiza's really starting to get the hang of these turbo-duels!" Luna says. "Mm-hmm!" Says Leo. They watch the two runners race onward. "Boy, I can't wait 'til Skylara teaches me how to ride." Leo says. "Yeah, when they invent duel training wheels! Ahahahahahahahaha! You're just a kid! Besides, probably by that time she'll be busy raising her own kids, and won't have a whole lot of time for us anymore. Maybe Yusei can teach you then, or Jack, or even Crow." Says Luna. "I am not, I'm a good two minutes older than you, remember?!" Leo asks. _"I'll show Luna! I will learn how to turbo-duel no matter what it takes!"_ Leo thinks to himself.

This setting is unfamiliar, it appears to be a very large, if not endless, dark blue room. Above, geometric patterns of straight, perpendicular lines cross the void in three dimensions. Below that, small blips of light move in static patterns of swirls and several infinity symbols. Holographic screens showing live footage of Skylara and Akiza's duel float in the air around the four thrones atop tall pillars, equidistant from each other and the center of the room. One of the four Directors-General sits atop each throne, young Lester, fierce Primo, the oldest of the four, who's bearded, and the only woman Galaxia.

"What gives? Since it was two Signers that just dueled it out, I thought for sure that the circuit would activate." Says Lester.

Below them, the space at the center of the four pillars is a swirling purple void, with a few static white sparks of white glowing against it, like cracks in stone. It doesn't seem to be doing anything exciting.

"Patience, Lester! For what we are planning great power is required! And great power will be produced. If not now, then certainly at the World Racing Grand Prix. Then, all the circuits will be activated and our grand design will, at long last, be realized! And this world will never be the same." The oldest one says.

"Don't be a simpleton, Jakob." Says Galaxia.

"Huh?!" Jakob asks.

"Have you forgotten all about the Crimson Dragon? It is the reason Goodwin failed and as long as it exists, it has the potential to derail our schemes, as well. We would be fools to simply ignore such a grave and powerful threat as this." Says Galaxia.

"So, what're you saying, my Lady?" Lester asks.

Galaxia points to a screen. "I'm saying we take action. Since it is Skylara Galatea who wields the power of the Crimson Dragon, it is through her we shall neutralize it. Or better yet, make this almighty beast our own." Says Galaxia.

"And how d'you plan on doing that, Lady Galaxia? By beating Skylara in a duel? Heeheeheehee!" Lester asks, jokingly.

"Exactly." Says Primo.

"Ah! It's here!" Lester says.

Another tablet, just like the first, is falling toward the Earth's atmosphere, straight towards the islands of Japan. It burns bright red as it plunges through the air, but maintains its shape.

The four Directors are now watching it hurtle through the sky on their screen.

"My stone tablet! You know what this means? Lady Galaxia and Primo don't get to have all the fun by themselves! Heheheheheh!" Says Lester.

Primo is not amused.

Galaxia looks suspicious, if not angry.

High above New Domino City, the incoming space rock gleams like a star, easily visible in daylight.

Bystanders stop in the street, including a guy with black, back-length hair comforting a young woman with a brunette afro the size of a beach ball. "Whoa! Another meteor!" "Ohh, no!" Several others chatter, the young girls in school uniforms are on their cell phones.

The 'meteor' sails overhead and lands beyond some hills just outside town. When it hits, there's a huge flash of light. Like the last tablet, this one has formed a sizeable crater on impact and stands embedded in the earth at its center, its facade cast into ominous shadow.

In the same bleachers from which the twins were watching Skylara and Akiza, the latter two are now sitting with them.

Crow is standing a few levels down from there in his work jacket and helmet.

Akiza's sipping from a water bottle. "What? A giant meteor?" Skylara asks.

"Uh-huh. Everyone's talkin' about it." Says Crow.

"But didn't a meteor hit a couple of weeks ago?" Leo asks. "It sure did, Leo. And that is right around the time the Ghost started to make his appearances." Says Skylara.

"Yeah." Crow says.

"So, this is bad." Says Akiza. "Very. Which means we can't take any chances." Skylara says.

"I agree. Then let's head over there." Says Crow.

"Right." Skylara says.

At the impact site. A small crowd has gathered, Security officers are forming a standing barrier between them and anywhere near the lip of the crater. "Uu-uu-uuhh, I don't like the looks of this!" "Whoa!" "It's gigantic!"

Crow walks up to the long-haired guy and afro-headed woman in the crowd. "Hey, what's goin' on here?" Asks Crow. "I dunno, dude. The man won't let us get any closer." "What?! But, we gotta see the meteor!" Crow says. "Sorry, professor, they've got the whole crater surrounded." "Uu-uu-uu-uughh, aw nuts." Says Crow.

Skylara, Akiza and the twins catch up to him. "Aw, man, we're too late!" Leo says. "What now, Skylara?" Asks Akiza. "Well, I guess we just hope for the best." Skylara says.

Above, several Security guys are slowly approaching whatever lies at the bottom of the crater.

 _"_ _However,_ _something inside m_ _e_ _is fearing the worst. If what_ _Haruk_ _a and Mich_ _iru_ _said is true, then I have to be ready_ _to face her again_ _."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

New Domino's Duel Academy, daytime. Miss. Bartlett is teaching class. "All right, students, settle down. Today we have a new classmate that I'm going to introduce you to. Please, come on in! Now, he just transferred from out of town, so let's make him feel very welcome." Says Miss. Bartlett.

The new kid is wearing a male Duel Academy student's dark blue blazer. He is skinny, with a pale complexion, green eyes, and while short, he is tall for his age. He also has waist-length, dark red hair, which he has pulled back in one long, thick, braid, that he has swept over his right shoulder. He seems a little unsettlingly serene. "Meet Lester!" Miss. Bartlett says. "Hi, everyone! Nice to meet you." Says Lester.

The class's boys seem a little taken aback, Bob's mouth is hanging open, slightly. The girls' reaction is much more animated, they all start chattering. Luna smiles, instantly charmed. "He's dreamy!" Luna says.

Lester turns and looks right at her, with a charming smile. "Hi." Says Lester.

Luna gasps, then turns pink, smiling with awe at being singled out by the cute new transfer student. Leo is not remotely amused. _"Is this guy serious with that hair? Sheesh!"_ Leo thinks to himself.

"Now, I'm sure you've all heard about the Duel Prep Junior Grand Prix competition that's held at East Academy every year? Right, class?" Miss. Bartlett asks.

"Yeah! Isn't that like a big-time duel meet over there, where the best of the best go at it?" Asks Bob.

"Right! And I'm told that Lester here actually won that tournament, not so long ago." Miss. Bartlett says.

The girls chatter amongst themselves. "Cute, and he can duel?"

"Now, now, everyone, one at a time. I'm sure you all wanna hear about it, so, if you have a question, just raise your hand." Says Miss. Bartlett.

Every hand goes up, save a few girls too busy swooning. Luna turns to Leo, still blushing. "Wow, he sure seems nice. Don't ya think, Leo?" Luna asks. Leo looks both bored and suspicious. "Uh, I guess." Says Leo. _"Hmph. I never heard of any Lester winning that competition. Whatevs, I'll bet I beat this guy at Duel P.E. next period, easy."_ Leo thinks to himself.

"Waaaugh!"

"Go, Gear Golem the Moving Fortress! Attack Morphtronic Videon!" Lester says. In addition to Gear Golem the Moving Fortress, he also has 'Limiter Removal' in play.

Leo's Morphtronic Videon is destroyed, and his lifepoints go from 600 to zero. So much for that.

"Lester wins the match!" Says Miss. Bartlett.

The other students cheer. "Wow, sweet moves!" "Lester, you're my new hero! Will you autograph my face?"

Leo groans.

Lester shrugs, modestly. "Thanks, all in a day's work." Lester says.

"Well, we have one more match to go. Luna and Bob, it's your turn to duel now." Says Miss. Bartlett.

"Right!" Both Luna and Bob say.

Luna passes Lester on her way onto the field. "Nice dueling, Lester." Says Luna, shyly. Lester stops walking, and replies, again with that warmth with which he singled her out before. "Thanks, can't wait to watch you." Lester says. Luna is blushing again. "Uh! Oh! You're gonna watch me duel? Wow, I don't know what to say!" Says Luna. Lester smiles at her, cheerfully, and then lets the smile fade to one far more steely. _"Of course I'm going to watch you, you're a Signer after all!"_ Lester thinks to himself.

"All right, you two! Duel!" Miss. Bartlett says.

"I'll go first. I summon Sunlight Unicorn! And after that, let's see here! Uh, I don't know! Maybe this one?" Asks Luna.

Lester, still watching, looks less and less eager.

Students mill around the split-level walkways that serve Duel Academy as hallways in higher stories of the building. Luna is walking along.

"Luna?" Lester asks.

Luna turns, he has approached her from behind. "Uh? Oh, hey Lester." Says Luna. "What happened? Why did you lose that duel?" Lester asks. "Huh?" Asks Luna. "It seemed like you weren't really trying your hardest, almost like you let that other kid win!" Lester says. Luna looks nervous, almost guilty. "Huh? Ohh." Says Luna. "I know you can do better than that!" Lester says. Luna covers up her fear, all smiles, and innocently and hastily tries to get herself out of this conversation in a hurry. "No, that was my very best! Guess I just have a lot to learn!" Says Luna. "Oh, come on." Lester says. "Anyway, I really oughta go now! I'm late for, uh, something!" Says Luna. She hurries away.

Lester looks frustrated. _"Mmph! She lost on purpose to conceal her Signer powers! But, I have ways of making her show the truth."_ Lester thinks to himself.

"Ohh! He's amazing, Skylara!" Luna says. Another day in the garage, and Skylara is working away on the new engine design. Luna stands nearby, gushing to Skylara about her latest crush. "You should've seen the way he played trap cards! The way he summoned out monsters! He's got all the makings of a great duelist! Oh yeah, and he's super-cute, too!" Says Luna, practically squealing. "That is wonderful, Luna. Sounds like you really like this Lester." Skylara says. "Everyone likes him! Right, Leo?" Asks Luna.

Leo is lounging on the ramp next to his backpack, clearly listening to her rave about Lester is not his idea of fun. "Nah, there's somethin' fishy about 'im if ya ask me." Leo says.

Skylara stops smiling, a bit puzzled.

"Well, I'm goin' home. See you later." Says Leo.

Skylara stands up, and she and Luna watch him leave. "What is going on with Leo?" Skylara asks. "Oh, he's just upset because he lost to Lester in a duel today." Says Luna.

The twins walk up to Duel Academy, in a cloud of other students of similar age. A few run past, giggling, and the twins wave. "Hi, guys!" Luna says.

"Luna!" Says Lester.

"Huh?" Both Leo and Luna ask.

Lester is standing before the front steps, waving a cheerful hello. "Good morning!" Says Lester. "Lester!" Luna says. "Hey, I was wondering. Whaddaya up to after school?" Asks Lester. "Um, today?" Luna asks. "That's right." Says Lester. "She's up to stuff without you." Leo says. "I was wondering if you wanted to hang out." Says Lester. "Can't ya take a hint? Shoo!" Leo says. "You could even come to my house. There's something there I'd like to show you." Says Lester. "Really?" Luna asks. "Yeah, you'll see when you get there." Says Lester. "Look, I said no and that's that so go brush your hair or something!" Leo says. "Actually, I wasn't talking to you, Leo! I was talking to your sister, so butt out!" Says Lester. "Oh sure, I'll butt out all right, but I'm butting out with both our butts! Let's go, Luna!" Leo says. "You're hurting my arm!" Says Luna. She waves to Lester, as Leo drags her away. "Sorry, Lester, my brother's a little protective." Luna says.

Again Lester is thwarted, and not too happy about it.

"What's your problem? So you lost to Lester in a duel! Get over it, it's not that big of a deal!" Says Luna. "Look, there's just something off about that guy." Leo says. Luna sighs.

Sometime later. Leo's palling around with Bob in the hallway before class, when Miss. Bartlett walks up to them. "There you are, Leo." Says Miss. Bartlett. "Uh, yes, Miss. Bartlett?" Leo asks. "Would you mind staying after school for just a little bit today? I need your help with something." Says Miss. Bartlett. "Oh. I, uh, guess that's fine." Leo says. "Great! See you then." Says Miss. Bartlett. She walks past them and Leo watches her go.

Leo's instinct is right that something seemed a little off, because as soon as she steps out of sight around the corner, she changes shape back into Lester, who smiles, with sinister cunning, and keeps walking.

The Duel Academy school bell is ringing. Luna waves goodbye to Bob and the blonde girl at a nearby street corner. "See you tomorrow!" "'Bye, guys!" Luna says. She starts walking, then hears a car honk.

A limousine is pulling up to the curb next to her. "Huh?" Asks Luna. Lester rolls down the back window. "Hey there, Luna!" Lester says. "Um, Lester, is that you? What're you doing in that fancy car?" Asks Luna. "Ah, it's just my ride home. Hey, ya still up to hang out?" Lester asks. "Uhh, I guess." Says Luna. "Great. Hop in, we'll go to my house. Ooh, and I can show you that thing!" Lester says. "Sure! I guess that would be all right!" Says Luna.

Bob and the blonde girl are walking along the street, and they see a limo drive by with her and Lester sitting in the back. Bob has a scribble on his cheek in pen. "Wish that was me in there." Bob says. "Just be happy you got your face autographed."

Leo, meanwhile, is sitting alone in the classroom, tapping his finger on the desk, staring into space. Leo groans and flops his head on the desk, bored. _"Ugh! I don't get it! Teach asks me to stay after school, then ditches me!"_ Leo thinks to himself.

Just then, Miss. Bartlett walks past the door, and is surprised to see him still sitting there. "Leo, why are you here?" Asks Miss. Bartlett.

"Uh, whaddayou mean?" Leo asks.

"I mean, final bell rang an hour ago. You should go home. See you tomorrow." Says Miss. Bartlett. She keeps walking.

Leo is completely confused. "Huh? Wha-aa-aa-aa-aa-aat?!" Leo asks.

The estate's palatial gates slide open to admit the limo into a stately courtyard with hedges spaced concentrically around a fountain. The mansion itself is truly that, with three or four stories in sprawling wings to either side. Luna is gaping through the window, while Lester listens, smugly. "Whoa, first the car and now this amazing house? Wow, Lester, what other surprises do you have in store for me?" Asks Luna. "A few." Lester says.

A butler welcomes them in the foyer, with a demure bow. He has a pale complexion, with red eyes and black hair, that is neat and slicked back. He's of average height and he's wearing a black suit, with a red ascot, above a white shirt. "Welcome home, young master and miss." "Why, thank you." Says Lester. "Hey, who's this guy?" Luna asks. Lester leads her right past the still-bowing butler, arrogantly privileged. "My butler. Hey, whip us up a coupla lemonades, huh? And mind telling my mother that I'm home?" Asks Lester. "Of course, right away."

"He doesn't have to." Then a woman, with the same exact skin tone, facial features and body structure as Skylara, walks towards them, she actually almost resembles her so closely they could almost be twins, except for a few things. She has red eyes, which are the same shade of red that Skylara's tend to change to every so often, she has no scars at all, and her long, wavy, flowing hair, which is golden-orange and then gradates into a bright red when it reaches just past her shoulder-blades, falls down to her feet. She also seems quite a deal older than Skylara, but not too badly. She's wearing a soft, lime-green dress, that reaches down to her feet. "Is she your mom, Lester?" Luna asks. "Yeah, that's her." Says Lester. "Hi, I'm Luna. Nice to meet you." "Like wise, Luna." She also has the same voice as Skylara, as well, only slightly older. _"Why does she seem so familiar to me? She reminds me of Skylara, but why?"_ Luna thinks to herself. "You okay, Luna?" Lester asks. "Yeah, I'm fine." Says Luna.

Leo runs down the street. _"I can't believe it! I'm not with Luna for ten minutes and Lester swoops in! I dunno what he's up to!"_ Leo thinks to himself. He now stands up, panting, before the closed gate to the mansion. _"But when I catch up with him, he'll be up to his ears in trouble!_ _Don't worry, Luna! I'm coming!"_ Leo thinks to himself. He starts to climb the gate.

Leo is being watched on a security screen, by Lester's butler. "It looks like we have ourselves an intruder." Lester's mother walks up behind him. "He's hardly worth the effort. So, there is no need to worry." "Yes, Ma'am."

Leo peeks out from behind a sculpted tree, then darts behind another one, then behind a long, square hedge. Leo crawls a short distance, then peeks over it. "Luna?" Leo asks. There is a figure, silhouetted against the sunshine, that moves, gracefully, and then flips. "Ah!"

It's Lester, on a specialized skateboard. Lester flies through the air, having jumped the edge of the bowl-shaped skateboarding space in the backyard. Luna watches from below.

"What is that?!" Asks Leo.

Lester watches Luna out of the corner of one green eye, chuckling. "Lester, what is that thing?" Luna asks.

Leo is watching from the bushes, equally awed. "Oh!" Says Leo.

Lester is flying higher into the air, his huge, thick, red braid whipping behind him. Lester lands on the ground, wheelies, and sets down, smoothly. "Heheheh! It's what I wanted to show you!" Lester says. He bounces on it and it shoots forward again, clearly it's a motorized skateboard, not a mechanical one. It rolls on two wheels on a center line, rather than the usual four. Lester executes another spectacular leap and flip, and another, and another. Lester is the very definition of skateboarding cool, gigantic braid notwithstanding. "Yeah! Whoohoo!" Says Lester.

"Huh?" Leo asks.

Luna applauds. "Wow, you're amazing with it!" Says Luna. "Why, thank you." Lester says. He steps off, eyes it craftily for a moment, then offers it to Luna. "Now, why don't you give it a try?" Asks Lester. Luna looks nervous. "Uhh! No, no, I wouldn't be any good at it!" Luna says. "Well that's a shame, because I made it especially for you." Says Lester. "You did?" Luna asks. "Yeah. It's a present from me, to you. Here." Says Lester. He places it in Luna's hands. "Uh, really? Thanks, Lester! That's so sweet!" Luna says. "If you really wanna thank me, Luna. You'll try it out. Right now. In a duel with me!" Says Lester. "Try it out in a duel?" Luna asks.

 _"How d'you duel with one a' those things?"_ Leo thinks to himself.

"Yes, in a duel, Luna." Says Lester. He plugs a connecting cable into the board, then into the side of Luna's duel disk. "You just plug it into a duel disk and you're good to go. There, now you see how easy that was?" Lester asks. "Yeah, guess so." Says Luna.

 _"Oh! So, it's some kind of duel board? I gotta tell Skylara and the guys about this!"_ Leo thinks to himself. He turns and makes a hasty, stealthy exit, running low to the ground behind the hedge.

The butler passes on the other side of the hedge, bringing the lemonades, and watches Leo leave out of the corner of his eye. Lester's mother follows close beside him.

Luna's feet are locked into the foot grips on the duel board and she's rolling slowly, knees trembling. "Whoa-a-a-a!" Luna says.

"That's it! You're gettin' the hang of it! Just relax, let the board do the work, nice an' easy. Way to go, you're doin' great!" Says Lester.

His mother and the butler descend the stairs above halfway. "Your drinks, young master."

"Ah! Thank you." Lester says. The butler descends the rest of the stairs to deliver the drinks, his mother follows. All three watch Luna roll across the patio on the board, tentatively. "What about the other guest?" Asks Lester, aside to both of them. "He seems to have left." Lester's mother says, aside to them. "Excellent. Just as planned. Eheheheheheheh! By the way, thanks for being such a swell butler, Primo. And, thanks for being such a graceful and beautiful mother, Lady Galaxia." Says Lester, aside to them both. "No, Lester. Thank you." Primo says, aside to him. "Yes, it is not every day you get to play host to a Signer." Says Galaxia, aside to both of them, as she puts a hand behind her ear, casually. Galaxia then runs her hand over her hair, if she is anything like Skylara, she's her exact opposite, showing off her more feminine side. "Yes, good point! Heheheheheh!" Lester says, aside to both of them.

"A duel board?" Asks Jack. It's late afternoon outside. Leo is standing at a whiteboard in the garage, drawing a sketch schematic of the duel board Lester gave Luna. Skylara and Jack are looking over his shoulders. "Yeah, see, it's pretty much a skateboard, except it has this cord that connects to a duel disk, like this." Leo says. "Interesting. So then with this device, you wouldn't need to use a duel runner to battle it out in a turbo-duel." Says Jack. "What do you make of it, Skylara?" Leo asks. "I don't know. I mean, it looks simple enough. In fact, I bet we have the parts to put one together right here." Says Skylara. "Wait, are you saying you can actually make one of these things right now in the shop? Oh Skylara, we've just got to! That way if Lester tries any funny business, I'll be ready for him! Will you do it?" Leo asks. Skylara looks a bit reluctant to agree. "Yes, I guess so." Says Skylara.

Sunset, and Lester has dropped Lune off in his limo. "Thanks again, Lester. Sorry we didn't get a chance to duel!" Luna says. "Oh, it's okay. Maybe tomorrow?" Asks Lester. "Sure. Oh, is it cool if Leo tags along, too?" Luna asks. "Oh! Your brother?" Asks Lester. Luna nods. "I know you guys've had your differences, but he'd love the duel board! It might be a good way for you two to make up!" Luna says. "Of course. He's more than welcome. See ya, Luna." Says Lester. The limo drives away.

"Okay, bye!" Luna says. She turns and jogs inside.

The twins' apartment in the Tops is empty and dark, Leo isn't home yet. Luna walks through the front door. "Leo, I'm home! Leo? Hello? Uh, that's weird, wonder where he is?" Asks Luna.

Late night at the garage, light is still streaming from the windows. Skylara tightens a bolt behind the new duel board's wheels with a drill, adjusts the board's foot grips to Leo's feet, then looks up. Leo nods, encouragingly, that fits just right.

Even later that night. All the lights in the room are off, save Skylara's desktop computer monitor's pale glow, where she continues to work away, the duel board connected to the computer by a cable. Leo has fallen asleep against the desk nearby, Skylara's long coat around his shoulders as a blanket.

Morning. Luna has fallen asleep on the couch sitting up, waiting for Leo to come home. Luna awakens, blearily. _"Whoa, Leo still hasn't come home?"_ Luna thinks to herself.

Out in a remote part of town that looks like it's still under construction, Leo is practicing with his new duel board. Leo's already riding much more confidently than Luna was yesterday. Leo tries shifting his stance. _"It feels good. Balances right. Time to test this bad boy out!"_ Leo thinks to himself. He swings an arc of a turn, experimentally. "Too easy! Heheh!" Leo says. Then he loses his balance and starts flailing, waving his arms, and falls hard on the road. Luckily, Leo's wearing a visored helmet and knee and elbow pads. "That hurt! Uh?" Asks Leo.

He looks up, and sees a vision of Lester looking down at him, snickering malevolently at his failure.

"But still, I can't give up!" Leo says. He pushes himself back up to a sitting position, then back upright.

Leo skates along, confidently, then falls down again.

Skates and falls again.

And again.

And again.

Once more, Leo pushes himself back up. "Again!" Says Leo.

Leo coasts around a curve and straight ahead, standing in the road, is someone else equipped with pink equipment to match his blue, Luna has shown up with her own duel board. "Huh? Luna!" Leo says. He brakes by scraping the back of the board along the ground, as he rides up to Luna. "Luna, how'd you find me?" Asks Leo. "Skylara told me what you were up to. That you're training to take on Lester." Luna says. "Yeah, so lemme guess, you're here to try an' stop me!" Says Leo, defiantly. "Right. Stop you from training by yourself, that is." Luna says. "Huh?" Asks Leo. "I thought I'd train with you! Sorry we've been distant lately, can we make up?" Luna asks. Leo brightens up and nods, immediately.

And so the twins train together, around and around the small, out-of-the-way bit of road.

"See if you can catch me!" Says Leo.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this!" Luna says.

"Check out this speed!" Says Leo.

They're both getting more and more comfortable with the duel boards, riding around and laughing together. They race under the overpass nearby.

Leo suddenly notices a figure standing on the edge above. "Huh?" Leo asks.

This person is masked in a helmet with a dark visor, wearing dark green and white, with dark blue boots, with a sort of metal mantle across his shoulders that forms an infinity symbol hanging over his chest. The twins don't, but we can, recognize him as yet another incarnation of Lester.

"Who is that?!" Asks Leo.

 _"I'm tired of waiting! I'm gonna duel a Signer and I'm gonna duel her now!"_ Lester thinks to himself. A duel board for him appears out of midair, he leaps onto it and soars down toward the twins. "Heheheheh." Lester laughs.

Leo looks more and more nervous, whoever this guy is, he's diving straight toward him. Lester lands almost on top of Leo, spinning him around and knocking him over.

Luna looks back and gasps.

Lester rides up beside Luna. "Sorry, but he's useless. The one I want to duel is you. And you're gonna duel me whether you like it or not!" Lester says. He whips the mantle out from around his shoulders and it becomes a sort of hovering dueling surface, like a supernatural duel vest.

Luna's duel disk activates on its own. "Uhh-h-h, hold on a sec…" Says Luna.

Lester swerves.

Luna's duel board follows after Lester's, out of her control. "Whoa-a-a! What's happening?! This duel board's moving on its own!" Luna says.

"It sure is!" Says Lester. He speeds up.

Luna flies after him, terrified. "Leo!" Luna says.

"No!" Says Leo. He jumps back up and races after Luna on his duel board. "I'll save you! Hey! Whoever you are, how about you take me on, too?!" Leo asks.

"Whatever! If that's what it's gonna take to do this! I activate the field spell, 'Speed World Two'!" Says Lester.

A wave of light spreads out from his duel disk and two rings of light flash briefly around the two sides of the three-person duel. Lester, versus Leo and Luna.

Duel lane signs pop up along the street. "A turbo-duel is about to commence. Now formulating cross-town duel course and awaiting Central Grid Authority's official authorization. Authorization granted." The computer says.

"What do I do?! I've never been in a real live turbo-duel before, Leo!" Says Luna.

"Don't worry! I've got your back, Luna. And besides, sis! You can take care of yourself! You've been training, 'member?" Leo asks.

Luna nods. "Mmm-hmm." Says Luna.

The three duel boards race around a bend onto a turbo-duel track. "Now, let's duel!" Leo, Luna and Lester all say.

"You first, Luna! Let's see whatcha got!" Says Lester.

"With pleasure!" Luna says. She draws her card and flips it, Bird of Roses. "For my first move, I summon Bird of Roses!" Says Luna. Bird of Roses has 1800 attack points, 1500 defense points, is a level 4 monster and is a wind type monster.

When the monster card Bird of Roses is destroyed in battle, you can summon two plant-type tuner monsters from your deck.

"I was hoping for more from you. Heh, like this! From my hand, I summon Absurd Stealer!" Lester says. Absurd Stealer has 100 attack points and is a level 1 monster. "When this card is summoned, the attack points of your monster become zero, and my monster's attack points become equal to your monster's defense points until the end phase!" Says Lester.

That means Absurd Stealer's attack points are now 1500 and Bird of Roses' attack points are zero.

"Now, Absurd Stealer! Attack Bird of Roses! Blinding Blue Blast!" Lester says.

"Nnnghh!" Says Luna. Her lifepoints fall to 2500, dramatically, and her board lifts off the track. Luna flies into the sky, careening right off the bowled edge of the track, she's going to fall. "No!" Luna says.

Regulus appears in ghostly form and swoops underneath her, catching her and landing her back on the track, safely. "Thanks! I owe ya one, Regulus!" Says Luna. She winces, as though her side pains her, or perhaps as though a bit nauseous from the near miss.

"Oh, by the way! The damage you take to your lifepoints in this duel, you take, as well!" Lester says.

"Real damage?!" Asks Luna. She is still wincing in pain, and a scratch has appeared on her cheek. The crimson claw mark on Luna's arm is burning.

Skylara halts working on something in the garage, wrench in hand, when her arm starts glowing. The extra markings that run along Skylara's arms are also lit up. _"My Mark. Luna."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

"I play an ability! By destroying my Bird of Roses, you enabled me to grow a garden of defense on my field! So come on out, tuner monsters Nettles and Spore!" Luna says. Nettles has 400 defense points and is a level 2 monster. Spore has 800 defense points and is a level 1 monster.

"Whatever. I'll throw three face downs and end my turn!" Says Lester. Absurd Stealer's attack points decrease to 100 again.

"Here we go, Leo! You wanted a turbo-duel, and now you've got one! Time to show this creep whatcha got! It's my turn! First, I summon Morphtronic Datatron from my hand!" Leo says. Morphtronic Datatron has 1200 attack points and is a level 3 monster. "And I'm putting him right to work, with an attack!" Says Leo.

"Not so fast!" Lester says.

"Huh?" Asks Leo.

"I activate my trap, 'Excess Summon'! Now, I can take the monster you just targeted and return it back to my hand, then I can summon out a weaker monster and he'll take the hit for him! Come on out Sky Core!" Lester says.

"Zero attack points?!" Asks Leo.

"Next, I'll play another trap, 'Torrential Tribute'! Now, since one monster was summoned, all monsters on the field are washed away!" Lester says.

"Huh?" Asks Leo.

"He destroyed his own monster?!" Luna asks.

"That's right, I did. Because, since Sky Core is destroyed due to a card effect, I can now play a monster so powerful it takes five cards to summon him! Go, Machine Emperor Skiel Infinity!" Says Lester. Machine Emperor Skiel Infinity has 0 attack points, 0 defense points, is a level 1 monster and is a wind type monster. "Go, Skiel Top!" Lester says. Skiel Top has 600 attack points, 0 defense points, is a level 1 monster and is a wind type monster. "Go, Skiel Attack!" Says Lester. Skiel Attack has 1000 attack points, 0 defense points, is a level 1 monster and is a wind type monster. "Go, Skiel Guard!" Lester says. Skiel Guard has 200 attack points, 300 defense points, is a level 1 monster and is a wind type monster. "And go, Skiel Carrier!" Says Lester. Skiel Carrier has 400 attack points, 0 defense points, is a level 1 monster and is a wind type monster.

"Whoa! He just summoned five monsters at once!" Leo says.

"That's true, but looks can be deceiving! Do your thing, Machine Emperor!" Says Lester. The pieces start to combine, forming into a mechanical blue dragon or bird with a long, segmented tail and skeletal wings of blue steel. 2200 attack points and is a level 1 monster. "Now five monsters have become one! Feel better?" Lester asks.

"Not really, 'cause that's the biggest monster I've ever seen!" Says Leo.


	14. Chapter 14

_Chapter 14: Dawn Of The Duel Board: Part 2_

Lester's new monster is a blue steel terror, with an elongated head, framework wings and a metallic, segmented tail that suggest the form of a bird or dragon. Its chest is open and hollow through the windows of an infinity symbol, revealing a glowing green sort of nucleus at its core. "Hahahahahaha! So what if it's two on one, you're still no match for my ultimate monster! But you don't have to take my word for it, you'll see soon enough how he steals the show!" Lester says.

Luna and Leo are keeping pace behind, both look confused, but worried.

Primo and Jakob are watching the duel from their room of glowing lights, through a wispy portal of vision below them.

"Lester certainly is sure of himself. Let's hope it doesn't cost him the duel, or worse." Says Primo.

"Lester knows what he's doing. Which is more than I can say for you sometimes." Jakob says.

Primo doesn't like hearing that, but he doesn't argue. The light from the image of the duel uplights Primo's pale, sharp face, as he glares at Jakob, coolly, and then returns his attention to the duel, quietly.

" _Whoever this guy is, he sure seems pumped about that monster a' his! But, I can't let that scare me off! I have to protect Luna! No matter what!"_ Leo thinks to himself.

Kuribon appears, cowering behind Luna's shoulder, cooing. "Bee-ee bee-ee!" "What's the matter, Kuribon?" Asks Luna.

"I'll tell you what, Luna!" Regulus says. Luna turns to see him loping along beside her. "Regulus?" Asks Luna. "He's frightened and so am I!" Regulus says. "Uh? But what of?" Asks Luna. She looks ahead and up at this menacing new monster. "There's nothing we can't all take on, right?" Luna asks.

Skylara and Jack are riding down the highway on their runners.

"Faster, Jack. Faster." Says Skylara. Her arms have stopped glowing, but she can still feel them. _"I don't know what my Mark is trying to tell me. However, I do know it is about Luna and that it isn't good. I just hope we can reach her before it is too late."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

"Mind if we tag along?" Crow asks.

"Well, now!" Says Jack. He looks over his shoulder, three more riders are following them. "If it isn't Crow, Yusei and Akiza! All right! We've got reinforcements, Skylara." Jack says.

 _"Good, because I think we shall need them."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

Lester's duel board scores up a thin trail of dust as he shreds the turbo-dueling track.

Luna and Leo, less steady on their boards, keep pace behind him.

"You two can't keep up in this duel or on these duel boards! Ahahahahahaha!" Says Lester.

"Rrgh! We'll just see about that! I draw!" Leo says. _"_ _Okay_ _! With this, if I'm attacked directly, I'll be able to summon out a monster!"_ Leo thinks to himself. "I'll play one face down and end my turn!" Says Leo.

"My move, then! Heah! First, I play my face down, 'Trap Stun'! Now no traps can be used for the rest of this turn!" Lester says.

"Ahh!" Says Leo.

"And since they can't, my Machine Emperor Skiel can attack you directly!" Lester says. It turns, deploys a laser cannon from its belly and opens fire on Leo, with one huge blast.

Leo shields his face and his lifepoints plummet to 1800. "Uagh-huh-huh-ugh!"

Luna gasps. "Leo!" Says Luna.

Leo rides out of the cloud of smoke, still riding. Leo's helmet has a scratch or two on it, but he's hanging tough and far from beaten.

Luna sighs, with relief.

"Hope you enjoyed that, 'cause my Machine Emperor Skiel's only just starting to gear up! His true talents have yet to be revealed, ahahahahahahaha! But for now, I'll leave things with a face down." Lester says.

"And I'll leave you regretting that you hurt my brother! Hah! I summon Sunlight Unicorn!" Says Luna. Sunlight Unicorn has 1800 attack points, 1000 defense points, is a level 4 monster and is a light monster. "Then from my graveyard, I activate the ability of Spore! Now, by removing Nettles in my graveyard from play, I can summon Spore out to the field! But that's not all! Now I can take the level of the card I just removed, and add it onto Spore's level!" Luna says. Spore puffs up and looks just a little bit meaner, for a ball of fluff. Its new level is 3. "Next, I'll tune my level-three Spore with my level-four Sunlight Unicorn, and let the magic that lives in each of these creatures merge and become one. That's right! I synchro-summon the mighty, the majestic, the Ancient Fairy Dragon!" Says Luna. Ancient Fairy Dragon has 2100 attack points, is a level 7 monster and is a light type monster.

 _"At last! It's here!"_ Lester thinks to himself.

"You see? Lester has everything under control." Jakob says.

They both watch the duel, intently.

"Now, thanks to Ancient Fairy Dragon, I can summon a level-four or below monster from my hand once per turn! And for this first turn, the monster I choose to summon is the Fairy Archer! And when she draws back her bow, you'd better look out, because for every light-attribute monster that's out on my field and face-up, Fairy Archer deals four hundred points of damage to you!" Says Luna.

"And Luna's got two of them, so that's eight-hundred points!" Leo says.

Fairy Archer raises her arm and a bow appears in it. She draws it back, the end that usually is pointy instead is set with a faceted jewel. She takes aim at Lester. "Let 'im have it, Fairy Archer!" Says Luna.

Fairy Archer's arrow flies and catches Lester right in the back. "Aaaaghh!"

Explosion.

The twins wait.

Lester rides out of it and dusts off a sleeve, he's unharmed. Lester's lifepoints now stand at 3200.

Luna gasps. "So wait! So we feel damage, but he doesn't?!" Luna asks.

"Yeah. It looks that way." Says Leo.

"Hey, thanks a lot for that! I'm always in the mood for a good tickle! Yahahahahahahahaha!" Lester says.

"Rrgh!" Leo growls under his breath.

"Ohh, I place two cards face down and end my turn!" Says Luna.

Skylara rides out of a tunnel and comes into sight of the duel, riding on a highway below and to the side.

The other Signers are right behind her.

"Whoa! Must be a duel goin' on!" Crow says.

"Hey, haven't you dueled that monster, Yusei? Remember? With the Ghost?" Asks Akiza.

Yusei is now riding alongside the duel and has a good view of Machine Emperor Skiel. "No, it was a different type. But, there are similarities. Like that mark on its chest. They must all be part of the same group." Yusei says.

"Whaddaya sayin'?! That there's a whole family a' those things out there?!" Asks Crow.

Skylara gasps, she's spotted the twins. "Look! It is them!" Skylara says.

"Sure is! So, the twins are dueling against that monstrosity?!" Asks Jack.

"And now, the moment I've been waiting for! Ready? Or not!" Lester says. He shreds into a confident sideways skid. "Here comes Machine Emperor's ability! You see, once per turn, my Emperor Skiel is allowed to absorb one synchro monster that's over on your side of the field!" Says Lester. The void in the Machine Emperor's chest, visible through the infinity symbol on its front, is glowing an intense light green.

"That thing can absorb synchro monsters?! Uh-oh! We're in for it!" Leo says.

"This is bad." Says Skylara. "It's like before!" Jack says.

The green light explodes from Emperor Skiel's chest in thick ropes of light that wrap themselves around Ancient Fairy Dragon's wings, middle and neck. Ancient Fairy Dragon roars, chained, fighting its bonds, as it is dragged toward the Machine Emperor.

"Ancient Fairy Dragon!" Says Luna.

 _"'Ancient' is right, 'cause from the looks of things, it's history!"_ Leo thinks to himself.

Ancient Fairy Dragon glows green to match its ties.

Luna looks bereft, bemused, like she should be upset, but still can't believe this has happened. "No, Ancient Fairy Dragon!" Luna says.

"Stop it! Let my sister's monster go now!" Says Leo.

And the last of Ancient Fairy Dragon's glowing form is sucked into Skiel's chest. "I don't think so!" Lester says. The chest closes up into an infinity symbol once again and resumes its usual appearance.

Each of the Signers has a look of shock and horror in his or her eyes.

"Hmm." Says Jakob.

Luna seems to be in a state of shock. "No, my Ancient Fairy Dragon is, inside that thing!" Luna says.

"This is awful! We're-too late!" Says Crow.

"Heheheheh! That's how my monster steals the show! 'Cause he steals synchros!" Lester says. _"_

 _Ugh! Who is this guy?! Why's he doing this to us?! Huh?"_ Leo thinks to himself.

Lester races up onto the curve of the side of the track, straight upward, lets them pass underneath, then executes a small jump at the top and races back down onto the track, now he's behind them.

Leo, watching this, recognizes something.

Flashback. Lester, their classmate from school, pulls off a spectacular midair jump when he shows them the duel board, chuckling as he turns to come down and land, watching Luna out of the corner of one green eye. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Lester shreds back down onto the track and zooms past Leo, glancing over his shoulder, tauntingly.

Leo meets Lester's eye and is certain. Leo doesn't see that in place of the other eye is a carved stone infinity symbol. _"It's Lester!"_ Leo thinks to himself.

Lester speeds past Luna and takes the lead again.

"Luna! That guy, it's Lester!" Says Leo.

"W-what?! You mean from school?" Luna asks.

"That's right, and now I have you right where I want you!" Says Lester. The image of Luna is reflected in his visor. _"And with a little luck, I'll soon have much, much more!"_ Lester thinks to himself. "Now, back to the duel! And to him!" Lester says. He points skyward, to his monster, triumphantly, refracting the mid-day sun. "Because thanks to his special ability, he now gains attack points equal to that of your synchro monster!" Says Lester. Ancient Fairy Dragon can almost be heard roaring its pain, as Machine Emperor Skiel's attack points rise to 4300.

"And I thought that monster was tough before!" Leo says.

"Next from my hand, I play the 'Speed Spell-Summon Close'! Now, since I have four or more speed counters, you aren't allowed to special-summon a monster for this entire turn!" Says Lester.

"But, that means!" Leo says.

"That means Machine Emperor can attack you directly again! And you won't be able to do a single thing about it! So go on and blast 'im already!" Says Lester.

"Aagh!"

Machine Emperor Skiel has loosed a tremendous blast of glowing green fire.

Luna rides between Leo and the impending blast. "I activate my trap, 'Twinkle Wall'! Thanks to this card, by taking damage equal to half of your monsters' attack points, I can cancel out your assault!" Luna says.

"Ah!" Luna's card shields Leo from the blast and bolts of it rain down on her. "Luna!" Says Leo.

Luna rides out of the smoke cloud, veering back and forth, wildly, swaying on her feet. Luna's lifepoints have fallen now to 350. _"Protecting Leo there was the least I could do! After all, it's my fault we're in this mess with Lester. I only hope I don't get anyone else hurt."_ Luna thinks to herself.

Over on the highway parallel, the other five Signers look worried and deadly serious.

" _That's it, Luna!_ _K_ _eep dueling with all your heart!"_ Lester thinks to himself. "I place one card face down and end my turn!" Lester says.

"My move now!" Says Leo. _"Time for a little payback for how Lester embarrassed me in Duel P.E.!"_ Leo thinks to himself. "I summon Morphtronic Scopen! And now, since Scopen is out on the field in attack mode, I'm allowed to summon another Morphtronic monster to the field, and a level-four one at that! So, let's get to it! Come on out, Morphtronic Boomboxen! And now, I'll tune the level-three Scopen with the level-four Boomboxen! Aw, yeah! When Morphtronics morph, it's a beautiful thing! It's a synchro thing! I synchro-summon the Power Tool Dragon!" Leo says.

"Another synchro? Aheh. You simply don't learn, do you? Guess I'll just have to teach you! Hohahahahaha, ahahahahaha!" Says Lester, drolly, perhaps slightly dismayed.

Outside the track. Skylara is watching, intently.

"What's Leo thinking?! His synchro monster won't stand a chance against Machine Emperor!" Jack says.

"Leo!" Says Luna.

"Don't worry, Luna! I'm on this! Watch! I play 'Summon Speeder'! Thanks to this spell, when I have four or more speed counters, I can summon a level-four-or-below monster from my hand, and the monster I'll be summoning is level-one Morphtronic Vacuumen in defense mode!" Leo says.

When the machine-type monster Morphtronic Vacuumen is in defense mode, it can equip an opponent's monster once per turn.

"So get ready, Lester! 'Cause this bad boy's about to help me clean house!" Says Leo.

"I see! Leo's gonna take down Machine Emperor an' then he'll be able to attack directly with Power Tool Dragon!" Crow says.

"Go, Vacuumen! Time to do what you do best!" Says Leo. Vacuumen sucks Machine Emperor Skiel down toward itself.

"I play a face down, the trap 'Convert Ghost'! Now when a monster on my field is selected as the target of an effect, the target is switched to a monster in my graveyard!" Lester says.

"Ahh!"

An orb of light emerges from Lester's duel disk and gets sucked into Vacuumen's tube, the suction stops.

"Oh no, Leo!" Says Akiza.

"Please. I knew what you were up to that whole time! You're as predictable as your sister!" Lester says.

"Ugh! I place one card face down and end my turn!" Says Leo.

"My move! Draw!" Lester says.

"Hold on a sec, Lester! Tell me if this is predictable! I play 'Power Break'! Thanks to this trap, since my Dragon's out on the field, all equipped and absorbed cards also out on the field are returned to their decks!" Says Leo.

"What?!" Lester asks.

"That's right, but there's more! You take five hundred points of damage for each returned card, one of which being a certain synchro monster you swiped!" Says Leo. The little ball of light flies out of Vacuumen's nozzle and back into Lester's deck. And then Emperor Skiel's chest starts glowing again and Ancient Fairy Dragon flies out of it, in ghostly form, triumphant and free.

"Ancient Fairy Dragon's back!" Luna says.

Skylara, Yusei and Jack wait for what's next, tensely. Akiza's face lights with relief and Crow grins.

Ancient Fairy Dragon becomes a little globe of light that soaks into Luna's duel disk, safe.

Machine Emperor Skiel's attack points go back to 2200 and it zaps Lester down to 2200 lifepoints too. "Rrrgh!"

"I warned you to stay away from my sister Lester, but you wouldn't listen! Well now, you see, not only am I gonna protect her with all a' my might, but I'll also do all I can to protect the things that she holds dear! Don't mess with my sister!" Says Leo.

Luna smiles. "Leo!" Luna says, touched.

"Yikes. Remind me to be extra nice to Luna from now on." Says Jack.

"No joke! I've never seen Leo so fired-up or so on top of his duel game!" Crow says.

"Same here!" Says Akiza.

"Yeah!" Yusei says.

Skylara just smiles at the whole situation.

"Disconcerting. But, this duel isn't over yet." Says Jakob.

"That's it!" Lester says. He looks at his palm, then clenches it into a fist. Somehow Lester's stone eye still looks menacing and angry. "So, ya wanna play rough? Then let's play rough! But don't worry, I'm not gonna pick on little sis anymore, I'm gonna pick on you! I activate the effect of 'Speed World Two'! Now, by removing seven speed counters, I'm allowed to draw one card from my deck! Next, I activate my face down 'Sky A-Three'! Thanks to this trap, by sending a monster on my field with 'Skiel A' in its name to the grave, I can summon Skiel A-Three from my hand!" Says Lester. Machine Emperor Skiel's belly cannon evaporates and a bigger one materializes to take its place. Its new attack point total is 2400.

"His monster just powered up!" Leo says.

"But I'm not done! Now, by releasing Skiel A-Three, I can now summon Skiel A-Five from my hand!" Says Lester. The belly cannon gets replaced yet again. This new one is a sort of double pod, with the upper portion cradling the lower portion underneath it. Machine Emperor Skiel's attack points increase to 2600.

"That's two power-ups in a row." Skylara says.

"Next, I activate the ability of Skiel A-Five! It allows Machine Emperor Skiel to attack you directly!" Says Lester. The new cannon expands out of its pod-like shell and extends three segments. It begins charging its bright pink laser, the whole thing begins to shake with the power and Leo is staring down a devastating impending blast. "Now this is playing rough!" Lester says.

The blast explodes out directly toward Leo. "U-u-u-uhh!"

White-out and the explosion connects, creating a sphere of pink fire. Morphtronic Vacuumen and Power Tool Dragon get vaporized in seconds. Leo braces, yelling, fighting to hang on and gets blown away, literally, flying through the air. Leo's lifepoints hit zero.

Luna brakes, wildly, and can only watch. "No-o-o-o-o-o-o!" Says Luna.

Leo is free falling from the track.

The five other Signers gasp and brake to a halt.

Leo groans, softly, barely conscious at all, eyes closed, as he falls almost peacefully toward the street a few stories below.

A flash of light shoots across and catches Leo, the light disappears and the figure is revealed. He has long, hip-length, raven black hair, which is tied into a low ponytail, blue eyes and he wears silver earrings. He's wearing a red suit, with a red rose in his coat pocket, over a yellow tie and a green shirt. His height appears to be 5'7" and he appears to be seventeen. Leo is lying motionless in his arms.

Skylara grips the edge of the road, looking down. "Seiya?" Skylara asks, surprised.

Seiya looks up at her. "Skylara." Says Seiya.

The rest of the Signers join Skylara at the edge of the road. "Leo! He's okay!" Akiza says. "I'll say! That guy saved him!" Says Crow. They look up and call across to Luna on the parallel track. "Luna, Leo is safe." Skylara says.

Luna's face is alight, with relief. "Skylara!" Says Luna. She nods and puts a hand to her chest. _"That was a close one! Thank goodness for whoever that guy was, he saved my brother_ _'_ _s life."_ Luna thinks to herself.

She and Lester continue to ride.

The other five Signers follow on the parallel street.

"Heheheh! Your brother may've been spared, but you won't share in his luck! Now, it's just you and me! I play a face down and end my turn!" Lester says.

 _"Leo gave his all for me, I won't let it be for nothing."_ Luna thinks to herself. "It's my move! And I summon Regulus! I then activate the trap, 'Ancient Sunshine'! But, the sun won't be shining on you, because now, since Regulus is out on the field, I simply remove the sleeping Ancient Fairy Dragon from play, and then you take damage equal to Fairy Dragon's attack points, and that's twenty-one-hundred! Get 'im!" Says Luna.

"Yes! If this works, Lester will only have one hundred lifepoints left!" Jack says.

"Heheh! I'm activating my trap, 'Infinity Force'! Now, Luna! Since there's a monster with 'Infinity' in its name on my side of the field and since you activated a card that deals effect damage, all damage becomes zero and all monsters on your side of the field are destroyed!" Says Lester.

"Ah?!" Luna asks. A bolt of light strikes from Regulus' horn, hits Lester's trap, is absorbed and a much larger beam rebounds, destroying Regulus and Fairy Archer.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Now you're without monsters and without hope!" Says Lester.

Luna gasps, glancing at her duel disk, nervously. "My turn! I draw!" Luna says.

"Machine Emperor Skiel, attack Luna directly!" Says Lester. And Skiel turns and trains that same devastating cannon on Luna.

"Ahh?"

The cannon charges up and fires!

"Rgh! Luna!" Skylara says.

The blast seems to hit a wall, deflected to either side.

Jakob leans forward.

Primo's mouth hangs open, slightly. "Something's happening down there." Says Primo.

Luna has one arm up to shield herself, bracing for the blast. Luna realizes that it's being blocked and isn't hitting her. "Ugh, huh?" Luna asks. She looks ahead, between her and the blaze of pink light are several small duel spirits, Kuribon, Jerry Beans Man, Key Mace, Tenderness and Watapon. "Can it be? Kuribon! You're here! You're all here! But, no! You'll be hurt!" Says Luna.

On the parallel highway, the Signers are watching the blast refract away from her in all directions.

 _"I sense something. Great courage. Great sacrifice."_ Akiza thinks to herself. "Huh?" Akiza asks. She glimpses small, incorporeal figures between Luna and the blast, shielding her. "It's duel spirits!" Says Akiza.

"Huh?" Jack asks.

"But, will they be enough?" Asks Akiza.

The Signers watch, apprehensively.

Luna's small, brave friends fight and strain against the powerful blast, and she takes the rest of it, her yell of pain cut short by the force of the blast, before she can see what happened to the duel spirits. Luna's lifepoints read zero.

"Luna!" Skylara says.

Luna rolls out of the smoke cloud, swaying back and forth, off-balance. "Steady yourself, Luna! Your lifepoints may not have survived that blast, but you did!" Says Regulus. Luna veers up close to the wall of the track, so close she can see her own surprised reflection. Luna winces and finds herself pushed away from the wall. "Raarrr! And so did we!" Regulus says. He appears beside the wall Luna was pushed away from, jogging along beside her. Regulus kept Luna from crashing. Luna watches Regulus, surprised and confused.

"Luna's duel spirits must've been just strong enough to withstand that assault!" Says Akiza.

Luna's duel board expels a cloud of steam and she slows to a stop.

Lester looks back, angrily, and rides away.

Luna takes off her helmet, looking up at all of the duel spirits who just defended her. "Thank you, Regulus. Thank you, everyone!" Luna says. They nod, in reply.

Luna soon meets up with the other five Signers.

When Luna reaches them, someone else comes up from beside them, the one who caught Leo.

"Leo!" Says Luna. She runs up to the guy who caught Leo, but stops short, feeling a little wary. "Uh, hi. Can I have my brother back, please?" Luna asks. She backs up a little bit, bumping into Skylara, startling herself. "It is alright. You don't have to be afraid of him, Luna." Says Skylara. "She's right, I wouldn't think of hurting anyone." Seiya says. He places Leo into Yusei's arms, who takes him. "And how do you two know each other?" Asks Jack. "Well, this is Seiya Kou. Him and I briefly dated a long time ago." Skylara says. "What?! So, he's your ex?! You never mentioned being with someone else before!" Says Jack, jealously. "Oh, don't be jealous, Jack. Like I said, it was a long time ago." Skylara says. "Yeah, don't worry to much about it. Skylara and I left on good terms. Anyway, I should get going. My brothers and I have a gig tonight. It was nice seeing you again, Skylara." Says Seiya. Skylara nods, subtly. Seiya gives a casual wave and then starts walking away. "Bye, guys." Seiya says.

"Wait, Seiya." Says Skylara.

Seiya stops and looks over his shoulder.

"Thank you." Skylara says.

Seiya smiles at her. "Sure thing. Hey, Atlas!" Says Seiya.

"Huh? Yes?" Jack asks.

Seiya winks at him. "Take good care of her, will you?" Asks Seiya.

Jack smiles, slightly. "Of course." Jack says.

From afar. Galaxia is watching, not at all amused.

Lester soon comes rolling up on his duel board and stops short of Galaxia. "Lady Galaxia." Says Lester, warily. He goes down to his knees. "I beg you for mercy. I'll never defy your words again, please don't destroy me." Lester says, sheepishly. Galaxia laughs a little bit. "Huh? Lady Galaxia?" Asks Lester, surprised. "You have defied me not, young Lester. You have done exactly what I have wanted you to do. Now, all the pieces are falling into place." Galaxia says. They then both turn and leave.

The vacant lot is green and grassy, with a single tree standing upon it. Luna and Leo are standing at the fence, with Yusei, Skylara, Jack, Crow and Akiza waiting behind them on their runners. "Sorry, but, there's nothin' here." Says Crow. "No way! I saw it with my own two eyes! It was this great big mansion! Right, Luna?" Leo asks. "Yeah. Lester said it was his home." Says Luna. "You sure? Does he have any other friends we could ask?" Jack asks. "Uhh! Yeah, of course! Let's go ask Bob from class!" Says Leo.

"Lester, huh? Uh, sorry, guys. Don't know 'im." Bob says. "But Bob, you were super chummy with him all last week! You even asked him to autograph your face, remember?" Asks Leo. "All last week? But, that's impossible. I was at home sick all last week!" Bob says. "Huh?!" Asks Leo. "See ya." Bob says. They watch him walk away, disoriented.

"What's going on?" Asks Leo. "I dunno for sure, but my gut's tellin' me there's some big-time trouble afoot. Don'tcha think, Akiza? Yusei?" Crow asks. "I do." Says Akiza. "Uh-huh." Yusei says. "Rrgh! Well I say bring it on, then! Why let trouble find us when we can go and find it!" Says Jack. "Because, Jack. To defeat this so-called trouble, we shall need to perfect a new way of dueling. We need to master the way of accel synchros." Skylara says. _"Or face certain doom."_ Skylara thinks to herself.


	15. Chapter 15

_Chapter 15: Putting It All Together_

The dark ocean water is just beginning to sparkle as the sun rises over the many-bridged ocean of New Domino City. Skylara is riding a highway over the sea alone on her runner, silent and pensive.

The mid-morning sun lights up the facade of Zora's building.

Crow descends a ladder against the wall, yawning, and walks across a plain, tidy kitchen space, still yawning hugely. There's a drafting desk against the wall near the window, a fridge next to the ladder, a stove with a kettle and fan hood next to that, counter space, a sink and what might be a bread machine. There's a small couch in the opposite corner to the ladder. Nearby is the entrance to a descending stairway that Crow steps onto, with a belch.

Jack and Yusei are sitting in the garage in the basement. Jack is sipping from a teacup.

Crow walks down the stairs. "Hmm? What looks different in here? What's with the table an' chairs?" Crow asks.

Jack and Yusei are sitting at a table next to the foot of the stair, in two of four chairs. All of the furniture is made of scrap metal. Sitting on the table is a thermos pitcher and cups.

"Is this new?" Asks Crow, yawning.

"Indeed! I made all this using spare parts." Jack says.

"So, the days of eating on the floor are over?! Whoa! And we're making our own coffee now, too?! Aww, sweet!" Says Crow.

"We're high-class now!" Jack says.

"This is some smart thinkin'! This way we won't waste money hitting up the cafe across the street three times a day! Why isn't Skylara here?" Asks Crow, uneasily.

"I think she's out testing the new engine prototype." Yusei says.

"She finished it?" Asks Crow.

"I guess so." Yusei says. "By the time I woke up she was already gone, and the old engine is sitting over there." Says Jack.

Crow looks over at the runner engine left standing in the middle of the floor. "So, she pulled another all-nighter all by 'erself, that's the third one this week! Why's she pressuring herself so much lately? I mean, I know you've been real busy at work and everything, Yusei. But, she shouldn't have to push herself so hard. I mean, she's only human, after all." Crow says.

"Why d'you think? The World Racing Grand Prix is coming up! She wants to make sure we're going in with the best duel runners we can make." Says Jack.

Crow sighs, takes a seat opposite of him, turns over a cup, and pours himself some coffee. "She should let us help out more. I mean, we're smart guys. We know how to use our hands, and our heads." Crow says. The chair under him is straining under his weight. Clearly, it was not very well made. "And, how to put stuff together, an'. Did you hear that?" Asks Crow. And the table and chairs Jack built collapses out from under them and sends them flying. "Aaaaaahh!" Crow screams.

The coffee pot clatters across the ground. The floor is covered with junk metal. Crow, Jack and Yusei are lying on the floor. Somehow, Jack has managed to keep his cup of coffee from spilling. "Okay! Okay! Don't move a muscle, guys. One wrong move and we could be paralyzed for life!" Crow says. "What're you on about? Don't be such a baby." Says Jack. "I'm serious, man. We coulda snapped something. One wrong move, and bam, paralysis." Crow says. "Well, then, we should just lie here and wait for help." Says Jack. He lifts his head and sips some coffee, legs crossed, nonchalantly. The three of them are lying in the middle of a pile of random scrap on the floor. "So, while we're waiting here, d'ya think Skylara is hiding something big from us?" Crow asks. Yusei and Jack both glance over at him out of the corner of their eyes. "What're you talking about?" Asks Yusei. "I mean, we're a team, right? We all worked together to build the Daedalus Bridge." Crow says.

Flashback. Yusei, Skylara, Jack and Crow stand in the shadow of the mighty bridge they just completed, the first linking the Satellite to New Domino City. "To reconnect the city with Satellite. And when you and Skylara were fighting Goodwin, Yusei. We were right there, remember?" Asks Crow, in voice-over.

Change Flashback. "No fair! I was the chosen one! I had the markings of both the Light and the Darkness!" Goodwin says.

"Perhaps, and yet beneath them, the Crimson Dragon saw that you still honor your brother's memory. So now the Crimson Dragon is a part of me once again, where it rightfully belongs!" Says Skylara. The Seal of the Crimson Dragon is once again glowing on her stomach, through her shirt.

The other five Signers are all ready to fight. "Skylara!" Luna, Akiza, Jack, Crow and Yusei all say.

Yusei draws. "You did your part, Goodwin! And now I'll do mine! My turn!" Says Yusei. He glances at his card, it's Majestic Dragon. "First, since Stardust Dragon is on my field! I'm allowed to summon the Stardust Xiaolong that's sleeping in my graveyard!" Yusei says. Stardust Xiaolong has 100 attack points. "And then I summon, Majestic Dragon!" Says Yusei. Majestic Dragon has 0 attack points.

"Not that! No!" Goodwin says.

"Next, I tune level-one Majestic Dragon with level-eight Stardust Dragon, and level-one Stardust Xiaolong!" Says Yusei. He's in the middle of a synchro-summon. Yusei's monsters are all outlines and green rings. "I harness all the power of the stars! I channel all the might of the dragons! I synchro-summon, the Majestic Star Dragon!" Yusei says. Majestic Star Dragon is a creature of magnificence, crystalline and radiating shimmering prismatic light. It glides on its four, fan-like wings, gracefully. "Majestic Star Dragon gains twenty-four-hundred attack points!" Says Yusei.

Jack and Crow smile, tiredly, that was their doing.

"And he gains the distinction of being the toughest monster on the field!" Yusei says. Majestic Star is now 6200 attack points strong, and shining with even more inner light. "You know what that means, Earthbound Immortal Rasca is goin' down! Go Majestic Star Dragon, Star Shine Shred!" Says Yusei. Majestic Star attacks, flying so fast it becomes a dart of light slicing through the air, he is about to hit Rasca full blast. Majestic Star Dragon plunges straight through the heart of the Condor Immortal and soars out its back.

Rasca caws and cries as it bleeds first turquoise light, then red-violet shadows. "Aaaaaauuuooh!" Goodwin screams. Goodwin's lifepoints fall to zero. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Crow stares up at the ceiling. "We were all there for her when she sustained her nearly fatal wound when the Crimson Dragon's power backfired on her. And I just wish you were there when she battled Roman, Jack. 'Cause she said all this heavy stuff that she'd never said to any of us." Crow says.

Flashback. The light of the reactor below and the tendrils of power climbing the walls like supernatural lichen harshly uplight Skylara's face, sparkling in her red eyes and creating shadows underneath them. "I understand that life is a long series of chain reactions. If my step-father had never discovered those planetary particle things, then Zero Reverse never would have happened." Says Skylara.

As she speaks, Crow, as a seven-year-old kid, is standing alone on the beach, staring out at the sea.

Then Jack, as an eight-year-old kid, is leaning against a tree in a park, watching, wistfully, as a family of four play together on a playground. "Satellite would still be part of Domino City. My friends like Crow and Jack wouldn't have had to grow up alone on the streets." Skylara says, in voice-over. The vision ends.

Skylara sheds a tear. "However, my step-father was my step-father, he wasn't some cosmic chess piece! And as for my friends and all the bad stuff they have had to go through!" Says Skylara.

She thinks of Crow, of Jack, and of Rally, Blitz, Tank and Nervin.

"Don't tell me that is fate! Don't tell me everything happened because it was meant to!" Skylara says.

The light of the reactor lines Yusei's face, as he listens, somberly. The twins look both worried and moved. "Skylara!" Says Luna.

"That is a lie! It happened because of you, and choices you made!" Skylara says.

"If only you knew how wrong you are!" Says Roman.

He and Skylara glare at each other, silently, the tension holds.

Crow breaks it. "Don't listen to that wingnut of a dad, Skylara!" Crow says.

"Huh?" Asks Skylara.

"I heard what you just said about your step-dad, man, and you're right. Wasn't his fault. There's no way he coulda known Roman was gonna do what he did." Crow says.

"I guess so." Says Skylara.

"Look at it this way, if Zero Reverse had never happened, you n' me n' all the others might not have met up and become best friends! Good things lead to bad things, leading to more good things! And that's just life! And at the end a' the day, we all have choices. We aren't destined to make them, this guy's just using destiny as an excuse to be a jerk! Or who knows, maybe it was my destiny to say that, but either way! Finish this guy, wouldja?!" Crow asks.

"I'm on it!" Says Skylara. She closes her eyes for a moment and then nods. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Skylara's an interesting woman. She's always been a tad standoffish, Crow. You know that." Jack says. "Ye-e-eah. I guess you're right, but I'm just saying, if there's something going on, and she thinks she's up against something she can't handle, and she's not telling us about it. Aaaaah, I dunno, Jack! I guess, I just don't want her thinking that she's gotta do it alone. 'Cause then she might actually do it alone." Says Crow. Jack glances over at him, then up at the fluorescence on the ceiling. "Well, that's very sweet, but there's no reason to worry about Skylara. She's an incredible duelist." Jack says. "Hey, I'm not denying that, but if she thinks…" Says Crow. "Of all the lesser-thans I've dueled. She's the best, hands down. She's the only one who ever gave me a real challenge. Besides you, Yusei." Jack says. Crow sits up and gets in his face. "Hey, whaddaya mean, only real challenge?! What about this guy?!" Asks Crow. He points to himself. "Oh, you're up. Guess that means it's safe for us to move." Jack says. "Ya didn't answer the question, Jack! What about me?!" Asks Crow.

Jack gets onto his runner and folds down the bar.

"Hey, wh-wi-whdi-whaddaya doin'?!" Crow asks. "Where ya goin'?!" Asks Yusei.

Jack puts on his helmet. "I've decided that I think you're right for once, Crow. There's some sort of danger approaching, and I think Skylara is onto it. So, I'm gonna find out what it is, and make sure she knows she can count on me." Jack says. He zooms out the garage door.

Yusei makes his way over to his runner and puts on his helmet. "Yusei, where ya goin'?" Asks Crow.

"I'm following after Jack. He's right, Skylara shouldn't have to feel like she's gotta do this all on her own." Yusei says. He speeds out of the garage door.

Crow sprints across the room and jumps onto his own runner. "Wait, what?! You just said that! Hey, wait! You're not havin' a special moment without me!" Says Crow. He puts on his helmet and peels out of the garage. The stone sidewalk outside the garage by now shows a whole lot of tire tracks. Crow races up the ramp. "Ja-a-a-ack! Yu-u-s-sei!" Crow says.

Skylara zooms around another curve on an empty highway somewhere in Domino. _"This isn't fast enough! At this speed, I won't be able to beat the Ghost! Yusei barely defeated it last time!"_ Skylara thinks to herself.

Flashback. In the early dawn, Yusei races ahead of the Ghost and his monster, Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity.

"You'll soon be going down like all the rest, Yusei! The moment you lose is the moment you crash!" Ghost says.

"So is that what this is all about for you? Bullying random duelists you find on the road?!" Asks Yusei.

"Hah! Bullying? Of course not, that's just an added bonus. Dessert for after I achieve what I've really set out to accomplish." Ghost says.

"Whadda you talking about?" Asks Yusei.

"I'm talking about useless little things called synchro monsters! And now it's time to rid the world of yours! Watch the synchro-slayer at work!" Ghost says.

"You're out of your mind!" Says Yusei.

"Oh, am I? Machine Emperor Infinity, demonstrate! I activate your special ability!" Ghost says.

Machine Emperor Wisel's chest glows in an infinity symbol, beams shoot out of it and wrap around Stardust's limbs, neck, waist and torso like glowing ropes, dragging Yusei's monster toward it. Stardust roars and fights against them.

"Stardust Dragon!" Says Yusei.

"It's too late, Yusei! There's nothin' you can do! Your dragon is about to become just another gear in my machine!" Ghost says.

"No!" Says Yusei.

Stardust Dragon shrieks one final time, and turns into light, getting sucked into Machine Emperor Wisel's chest.

"Did you see that?! His monster has been…" Jack says.

"Has been trapped!" Says Crow.

"Stardust Dragon, no! Trudge tried to warn me! This is what he meant! 'Synchros are useless' because the Ghost can capture them!" Yusei says.

"Oh, they're not useless! At least not to me! Because now that your Stardust Dragon is mine, his attack points are mine, too!" Says Ghost. Machine Emperor Wisel's new attack point total is 5000. Its left arm, its attack arm, is glowing with Stardust's iridescent shimmer, and seems to be taking on vestiges of the shape of the dragon's distinctive head.

"Oh no! It absorbed all of Stardust Dragon's strength?!" Yusei asks.

"This is not good!" Says Skylara.

"Huh! All right, then! Machine Emperor, attack his lifepoints directly! Tell me how it feels, Yusei! To have your own monster play a part in your demise!" Ghost says.

The Mark of the Dragon's Head on Skylara's arm starts to shine through her detached sleeve and coat sleeve. The symbol on Skylara's right cheek and the markings that run along the sides of her neck begin glowing, as well.

Crow's Sign glows red through his cloth arm guard. "Whoa!" Says Crow.

As that happens, the additional symbolic designs that are etched down Skylara's lower back start flaring.

Jack's Sign burns bright through his glove and sleeve. "Why're our Marks glowing?!" Jack asks.

The symbolic designs burned into Skylara's right shoulder-blade soon begin glowing. Soon after, the extra markings that run along Skylara's arms and legs start lighting up.

Yusei's Sign then glows through his sleeve and glove.

The symbolic designs etched into Skylara's left shoulder-blade soon flares, as well. The Seal of the Crimson Dragon, all six marks combined, ignites on Skylara's abdomen, glimmering through her shirt. As she reopens her eyes, they're now glowing crimson red, the red gradation portion of her hair is also flaring in crimson red light. "Go forth and aid my brother for this final draw!" Says Skylara, her voice now menacing and echoic. She places one of her hands on her chest, right over her heart. The Seal of the Crimson Dragon on Skylara's abdomen starts to go dim. Skylara then moves her hand off of her chest and as she does, the Crimson Dragon's heart of power appears out of her chest and hovers within her hand. "Lend him your powers, now!" Skylara says.

The heart of power goes forth and hits Yusei right between the shoulder-blades, which causes him to react a little. The Seal of the Crimson Dragon, ignites on Yusei's back, glimmering through his jacket. "The Mark of the Crimson Dragon! It's lending me its power for this one last draw!" Says Yusei. The top card of his deck starts to glow golden. Yusei draws and raises the card high. "Now, watch! I summon the Majestic Dragon!" Yusei says. Majestic Dragon has 0 attack points and is a level 1 monster. "And next I activate 'Synchro Material'. Thanks to this trap, I can now synchro-summon with monsters that are on your side of the field! Monsters like the Stardust Dragon!" Says Yusei.

"What?!" Ghost asks.

"That's right! Return, Stardust!" Says Yusei. Stardust Dragon takes the field once again, roaring to the sky.

"He got 'im back!" Jack says.

"And that's just to start!" Says Crow.

"Hm! Now, Stardust Dragon! Tune with Unicycular and Majestic Dragon!" Yusei says. His monsters perform the dance of the synchro-summon. "Ghost, you called synchro monsters wretched little things that the world should be rid of! Well, now it's their turn to respond, and they'll respond with all their might!" Says Yusei. Majestic Star Dragon has 3800 attack points and is a level 10 monster. "I'm afraid your Machine Emperor's greatest strength is also his greatest weakness." Yusei says.

"Ah! No! You're wrong!" Says Ghost.

"Attack 'im and you'll only destroy one part, but if it's the right part, all the others will go with it! Majestic Star Dragon, attack!" Yusei says.

Like a blue star flying straight out of the daylight, Majestic Star swoops in, aiming for Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity, the combo's head. It strikes right through, faster than the eye can see, leaving an explosion and cloud of smoke in its wake and soaring back up to glide above. The headless Machine Emperor starts to spark and crackle with unnatural purple electricity, then explodes. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Skylara keeps riding, deep in thought. _"If I hadn't been able to activate Crimson Dragon's powers and lend_ _them_ _to Yusei in time, he would_ _ha_ _ve been done-for, and next time I might not be so lucky. There_ _i_ _s some major danger on the way like Mich_ _iru_ _and_ _Haruka_ _said. I can feel it. So, I got to can the minor-league stuff and step it up."_ Skylara thinks to herself. Up ahead of her is the tower at which the World Racing Grand Prix gala was held. _"The whole world could depend on it."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

The inside of the tower atop which the gala pavilion sits is lit with massive, beautiful windows. A stair slopes gently upward to the next level up. Skylara is standing at the railing at the bottom of the window, her runner parked beside her, leaning on the rail and staring out at the cityscape. _"What if I can't do it? What if the fight ahead is out of my reach? What if I'm not ready for this?"_ Skylara thinks to herself.

"I thought I'd find you here, love." Says Jack.

Skylara turns. "Hm? Hey, guys. What is going on?" Skylara asks.

Jack, Yusei and Crow are climbing off of their runners behind her.

Behind them, a parked car can be seen, this is probably the garage level.

"Man, this really is the best view a' the city." Says Crow. "Hard to believe how much this city has changed in the last six months, isn't it?" Yusei asks. "Do you guys need something?" Asks Skylara. "Can't a boyfriend just check in on his girlfriend?" Jack asks. "And a brother check in on his sister?" Asks Yusei. "And a best friend checkin' on his best friend?" Crow asks. Skylara blinks, surprised, and then looks away. "Yes. Sorry, I'm just a little on-edge." Says Skylara. "What, 'cause a' the new engine?" Crow asks. He puts one of his hands on Skylara's shoulder. "Fess up. 'S not just that, is it?" Asks Crow. "No, it's, I can't stop thinking about that stolen duel-bot thing." Skylara says. "What about it, Skylara?" Asks Jack. "I still can't believe how powerful it was!" Skylara says. "I don't get it. That thing was just a machine, right? What's the big deal?" Asks Crow.

Flashback. Crow touches the Ghost's arm and it falls off, sparking dangerously. "Machine or not, someone was controlling it. Someone was giving it power." Skylara says, in voice-over. The four of them recoil from the crackling arm on the ground, where it attached to the Ghost, circuits and a complex hinge can be seen. Up close, the Ghost is clearly a robot, its lifeless eyes staring and inert. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "And I think I might know who." Says Skylara. "What? Who?" Yusei asks. "Yliaster." Says Skylara. "You're gonna hafta remind me what that means, pal. I've got kind of a short-term memory sometimes." Crow says. Skylara turns and looks out the window again. "During my battle with my father, he said that he met some guy from a group called Yliaster at the Nazca Lines." Says Skylara.

Flashback. Eighteen to twenty years ago, at the site of the Nazca Lines in Peru, on a clear, sunny day. Roman Goodwin, dressed for wilderness travel, turns, surprised to find that he isn't alone, and sees a man in a white business suit. "That meeting is what made my father betray Yusei's." Skylara says, in voice-over. The stranger's face and eyes are in shadow, and he wears a blandly ominous sort of smile. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "I'd heard Goodwin mention that group every now and then back when I was his lackey. And I'm sure you heard it a lot back when you worked under 'im. But I don't know, Skylara. In my opinion, it all sounded like a bunch of secret society mumbo-jumbo." Says Jack. Skylara turns to him, urgent and insistent. "It is not mumbo-jumbo, Jack! This group is real! They are out there, and they used my uncle and my father to cause Zero Reverse! However, my uncle and my father were just their pawns, defeating them didn't defeat Yliaster. In fact, I heard their name mentioned again recently." Skylara says.

Flashback. Skylara is in the middle of a duel with Sherry LeBlanc.

"Tell me, Skylara Galatea? What is it you are dueling for? Why are you entering ze World Racing Grand Prix with your friends and your brother?" Asks Sherry.

"I don't know. I mean, why do mountain-climbers climb mountains? It is because they are there, isn't that what they say?" Skylara asks.

"So in other words, you 'ave no reason! There is nothing driving you but thrill, ambition, perhaps beaux dames?" Asks Sherry.

"So tell me, what are you driven by?" Skylara asks.

"If you must know, Mademoiselle Galatea! I am driven by my hunger for revenge!" Says Sherry.

"Against who?" Skylara asks.

"I will tell you." Says Sherry.

Sub-Flashback. The ornate family crest on the gate is embossed in gold or bronze. It swings open revealing the palatial estate behind it. "I was born into ze LeBlanc family. My parents were extremely wealthy, my father the head of a card company he inherited from his father. My childhood was a happy one. Winters in ze mountains, summers at our estate in the country." Sherry says, in voice-over. Enter the house through the front doors, past two bowing, matching doormen, through the spacious hall and through another set of double doors, past two bowing, matching maids, and through another set of double doors to find the LeBlanc family sitting in an elegantly-decorated parlor. Sherry's mother sits primly perched on one side of the couch, knitting. Sherry's father holds his young daughter in his arms, in this flashback, Sherry herself is perhaps no older than seven, and giggling all over. "Horseback riding lessons, piano lessons, croquet games and cool afternoons. And my parents, zey were carefree and kind! But things started to change." Says Sherry, in voice-over.

Change sub-flashback. Little Sherry lights up and runs to her father's arms, he picks her up and holds her close, carrying her around to the other side of the desk. "My parents tried to shield me from all zat was going on. One afternoon, my father gave me ze most adorable little teddy bear." Sherry says, in voice-over. He opens a desk drawer and takes the teddy bear out of it, little Sherry loves it. The teddy bear is very adorable and fuzzy. "And zen, zat night." Says Sherry, in voice-over.

Change sub-flashback. Young Sherry picks up her new teddy bear from her pillow and hurries to the door of her bedroom in her nightgown, hearing the sounds of a struggle. "I was torn out of my sleep by noises. Screaming and shouting! Frightened, I went to my parents' room." Sherry says, in voice-over. She backs up right into a tall man in the black suit of a butler. She looks up, momentarily frightened, then sees who it is. She starts crying, but he kneels down and puts a hand over her mouth, and a finger to his lips, urging her to be silent. "Our butler, Ellsworth. Found me, told me not to be scared. Together, we fled the estate." Says Sherry, in voice-over. He swoops the tiny girl up in his arms, and runs down the hall as she starts crying again.

Change sub-flashback. Later, Ellsworth pulls aside a thick drapery and peers out a window around the back of a neon sign, cautiously. They're somewhere far off the beaten path, hopefully under the radar. He looks back inside, little Sherry is sitting on the plain bed in the hotel room, holding her teddy bear close and crying her eyes out. "Ellsworth explained the situation to me. A corporation had been trying to purchase my father's business. When my father refused, strange men began coming around, making threats." Sherry says, in voice-over. Ellsworth takes the single red flower from the vase on top of the chest of drawers and offers it to the little girl. She's still crying too hard to notice. He takes the teddy bear, gently, and puts the flower under its arm, as though it's holding the flower. "And zen, he told me. We could never again return to ze estate." Says Sherry, in voice-over.

Change sub-flashback. And so they traveled, a tall, burly man holding the hand of a little blonde girl, in a pink hoodie, carrying a teddy bear. A map traces their journey. "And so we journeyed from country to country, city to city, relentlessly pursued by ze monsters who had taken my parents from me! Along ze way, I learned zat ze corporation was just a front!" Sherry says, in voice-over. End sub-flashback.

Back to flashback. "Ze real organization pursuing me is known as Yliaster!" Says Sherry.

"Yliaster?!" Skylara asks.

"From what little I have gathered, they are a secret society with wild ideas about ze universe. Zey operate from ze shadows, and zey will do anything to get rid of those who stand in their way. Which is why zey came for my family!" Says Sherry, angered.

"I'm so sorry, Sherry." Skylara says.

"I want you to help me, Skylara Galatea. Yliaster is pulling ze strings behind ze upcoming World Racing Grand Prix!" Says Sherry. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "So, what do these Yliaster goons want with this girl's parents? And why've they been chasing 'er across the globe?!" Crow asks. "She wouldn't tell me. However, I am certain Yliaster is somehow involved with the World Racing Grand Prix. Something is going to happen there!" Says Skylara. "You're basing all of this on something some girl you don't know said to you?" Jack asks. "There is more. Remember what Blister was saying to us when we went out to Martha's place a couple of weeks ago?" Asks Skylara.

Flashback. Blister types on his laptop, the screen shows a crater left by a meteor impact. "Did you guys see the report about that meteor that hit outside the city?" Blister asks. "Yeah." Says Yusei. "We didn't need a news report, we heard the impact!" Crow says. "I've been picking up some weird chatter about it on the P-S-B channels." Says Blister. "What sort of chatter?" Jack asks. "Cryptic stuff. From what I can gather, it seems like it wasn't a rock that fell. I've heard a few references to 'the stone tablet'." Says Blister. "This was two weeks ago, right? That was the same time that duel-bot Ghost started showing up." Skylara says. "Think there might be a connection there?" Asks Crow. "I don't know, but whatever it is that fell. It seems, the Public Security Bureau got hold of it and is keeping it very hush-hush." Blister says. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "This is how all that drama with the Dark Signers started, a whisper here and there. Well, I want to be ready this time." Says Skylara. "Okay, but, ready for what?" Crow asks. "For pretty much anything." Says Skylara. Jack smiles. "Hmph. So, the Grand Prix could be some kind of trap. And the four of us are just gonna stroll right into it?" Jack asks. "That's how we roll! We're not scared a' nothin'! I mean, you're not afraid, areya, Jack?" Asks Crow, tauntingly. "Please! You might as well ask the ocean if it's thirsty! Jack Atlas knows no fear! I don't even know what the word means! And if anyone tries to intimidate me, they will experience a world of hurt!" "Great. So, we've got the 'enthusiasm' part covered, that's good to know. 'Cause we're going to need that, and a whole lot more." Yusei says. "If I am right about Yliaster, then we are going to need to learn some new moves, boys. Remember the trick that Visor busted out?" Asks Skylara.

Flashback. The glare on Visor's visor slides aside to reveal one sharp gray eye. "You're not ready to face the Ghost." Visor says.

Skylara's eyes betray alarm.

"You must first find what you're looking for." Says Visor.

"'Looking for?'" Skylara asks.

"That's right. The Synchro Solution." Says Visor.

Change Flashback. Visor speeds ahead. "Now, prepare to step outta the shadows and into the light! Go, Accel Synchro!" Visor says.

"Accel Synchro?!" Asks Skylara.

Visor is still accelerating and the air around him is starting to tint purple, then electric blue. As Visor continues to speed up, the blue air starts to turn white with the energy of his passing it, obscuring him from view. A green ring blossoms around the track, as though the riders themselves are flying through the rings of a synchro-summoning. The air around Visor is now a vibrant tuner's green and more rings are appearing.

Skylara watches, in stunned amazement.

There's a bright, blinding flash.

Crow's runner screen has become a headlight, everyone winces away from it. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "I didn't see anything at that point. There was this blinding white light, and I spent the next five minutes stumbling around trying to see." Crow says. "You didn't stumble about, you were hugging onto me and saying' protect me, Jack, protect me!'" Says Jack, indignantly. "What Visor did, I have never seen it before." Skylara says.

Flashback. As Visor continues to speed up, the blue air starts to turn white with the energy of his passing it, obscuring him from view. A green ring blossoms around the track, as though the riders themselves are flying through the rings of a synchro-summoning. The air around Visor is now a vibrant tuner's green, and more rings are appearing.

Skylara watches, in stunned amazement.

Then suddenly, her and her Eruptor are on the track alone. Ahead of them, all is dark. "Where did he go?" Asks Skylara. She rides onward.

Suddenly, the air behind Skylara seems to pulse, dispersing blurry waves of intangible power. Skylara is forced toward the side of the track, as the air space directly beside her shines brighter and brighter.

Visor comes roaring out of it. Above Visor hovers a new monster, armored in bright lime green and orange. Tech Genus Blade Blaster has 3300 attack points and is a level 10 monster.

"Where did that monster come from?! And what in the world is it?" Skylara asks.

"It's an accel synchro monster, Tech Genus Blade Blaster." Says Visor.

"Wait, an accel synchro monster? What is that? And how were you able to summon it right in the middle of my turn?!" Skylara asks.

"An accel synchro summon uses a synchro-tuner monster and a synchro monster, and it's done with lightning-fast speed!" Says Visor. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Accel Synchro?!" Jack, Yusei and Crow all ask. "That is right, and we need to learn how to pull it off." Says Skylara.

Afternoon at the tower in New Domino with the pavilion atop it at which the WRGP Gala took place. "So Skylara, by mastering this Accel Synchro method you think we'll be able to counteract that capture ability that nuts-and-bolts used on Yusei?" Jack asks. "How're we supposed to do that? What does it even mean? How does it work? Too-many-questions! Brain-overwhelmed!" Says Crow. "I don't know, Crow. However, there is a world beyond the one we know. Beyond the breaking point, past our limits, where time acts differently, where things aren't like they are here. We have got to find a way to get there. And I think I might know just the person who can possibly help us." Skylara says. "So, we gotta find a way to bend time and space? Sounds like a plan!" Says Yusei. "Go ahead, Yliaster! Ask for a piece a' Crow! I'll serve ya the whole pie, losers!" "A world beyond my limits, you say? Hmph. That's impossible, there is nothing beyond my limits!" Jack says. "Just one thing, I am definitely going to need a better engine for my duel runner." Says Skylara. "Don't you mean, 'we'll need better engines for our duel runners'?" Jack asks. "Yeah, that's right." Says Yusei. "We're all in this together. One for all and all for one, and all that junk." Crow says. "Great. Then lets do this, boys. Dare I say it, the Enforcers are going to ride again." Says Skylara. _"The Sailor Guardians may just rise up again, as well. We shall need all the help we can get."_ Skylara thinks to herself. The four of them raise their arms and bump fists, beyond their hands the sun glares down, brighter and brighter, and whites out.

And find ourselves on a beach, watching gentle waves wash the sand. Washed up on the beach is a young man, with blueish-teal hair, barely conscious. He groans, softly, but is definitely breathing, barely alive after having just washed up on the beach with the flotsam, lying on his chest is a little girl, possibly only two or three, with dark pink hair, tied into two heart-shaped odango. She seems exhausted even though she's fast asleep. These two must have really been through something.


	16. Chapter 16

_Chapter 16: The Super Genius_

Yusei is out riding late at night, testing another engine. _"This is the fastest I can go. No. You can't settle for this, Yusei. You've gotta build a new engine, you've gotta push beyond your limits."_ Yusei thinks to himself. He keeps riding. _"And you've gotta do it before time runs out!"_ Yusei thinks to himself.

A tall, fancy-looking building somewhere in New Domino City. At the very top is a fancy restaurant. Crow is pigging out on his steak. "Mmm! So, this is how the rich people eat!" Crow says, with his mouth halfway full. Everyone else at the table is staring at him. Yusei, Skylara and Jack are glaring, neither one has touched their plate.

Trudge and Minako are sitting across from the four, next to two unoccupied seats opposite of Skylara and Jack. They haven't touched their food either, and they look nervous and awkward.

Crow takes another bite. "This is great! It's like the best food I've ever eaten ever!" Says Crow. He glances around at Yusei, Skylara and Jack, all three are wearing stony expressions, regarding Trudge and Minako across the table. "Come on, guys! Dig in already! It's not every day we get taken out to fancy restaurants like this!" Crow says. "This whole situation is suspect." Says Jack.

Minako and Trudge clear their throats, simultaneously. "Wha-what's suspect about it? What are you talking about? Heh, heh, we just wanted to take you guys out, that's all." Minako says, innocently.

"You know what Martha used to always tell us? 'Nothing in this world is free'!" Says Yusei. He leans forward. "'Everything comes at a cost, and one way or another.'" Yusei says. "Here's the way I'm seeing it. You wouldn't blow your meager government salaries on us if you didn't want something in return." Says Jack.

"That's-we're just being nice!" Trudge says.

"So, there's nothing you want from us?" Asks Jack.

"No, no, of course not. I mean, there is this one little favor, but that's…" Trudge says.

"I knew it, here it comes." Says Jack.

"It's nothing big, there's just this guy and he's got amnesia and there's this little girl and they were found on the beach last weekend. Well, Security can't watch them, but they don't know where else to go." Minako says.

"And what does all this have to do with us?" Asks Skylara.

"They've been staying with Trudge, but it's a small apartment. And Trudge has a cat, and this guy is allergic to cats. And, I don't have room at my place, so..." Minako says.

"So, you want to dump these two on us." Says Jack. "Yeah!" Crow says. He takes a bite. "Mmhmmrmmhmmrmmhmmhmhm!" Says Crow, saying something completely indecipherable with his mouth full.

"Well, it's just for a little while." Trudge says.

"No way." Says Yusei.

"Come on, you four! These people need help!" Minako says.

"Not a chance." Says Jack.

"I'll beg if I have to." Trudge says.

"Don't bother." Says Skylara.

"So, you won't help us, but you'll gladly wolf down the very delicious and very expensive dinner we buy you?" Trudge asks.

"Well, when you put it like that. So, where is this amnesiac and this little girl, are they here?" Asks Crow.

"Well, they-they should've been here by now, but, um." Trudge says. He and Minako look at each other, confused.

"Well, if their M.I.A. there's nothing we can do, oh well!" Says Crow. He keeps pigging out.

Trudge and Minako share another look. "Hmmm." Both Trudge and Minako say.

A little while later. Yusei, Skylara, Jack and Crow walk through the parking garage on their way out. "Man, that was close! I almost got saddled with some random roommate!" Says Crow. Yusei, Skylara and Jack still don't look too happy. "Only because you let their Trojan horse roll right in by accepting their dinner and pigging out and enjoying yourself!" Jack says. "Hey, you laughed at the movie they took us to." Says Crow. "I did not!" Jack says. "Ya did so, at the part where the monkey was climbin' on the…" Says Yusei. "Uh, guys." Skylara says.

What she has spotted is a man, with teal-blue hair, kneeling next to Jack's parked duel runner, tinkering with it. Sitting in his lap is a young little girl, with dark pink hair, tied into two heart-shaped odango, and blue eyes. "Hey!" Says Jack.

"There we go... all better."

"What in the deuce do you think you're doing to my duel runner?!" Jack asks. The guy looks up from his work, clearly frightened. "Huh?" The little girl looks scared, too. Her eyes widen, in sudden realization. "Dada." Says the little girl, softly. "I eat little bugs like you for breakfast!" Jack says. He shoves him away from the runner, and he hits the ground on his back, only he holds onto the little girl the whole time, keeping her safely secured. "Don't even look at my duel runner again!" Says Jack. He climbs onto it, puts on his helmet, and pulls down the side bar. "Good night, gentlemen. Love." Jack says. He abruptly rides away, incensed.

"Hang on, Jack!" Says Skylara.

Trudge and Minako, getting into their car, see Jack angrily ride out of the garage. "I wonder what that's all about?" Trudge asks.

Meanwhile. The guy who was tampering with Jack's runner is sitting up, still holding the little girl in his arms, and Yusei's kneeling next to him, with Skylara standing beside him. "You okay? Is anything broken?" Asks Yusei. "Forget this guy, let's go!" Crow says, urgently. "Hang on, Crow." Says Skylara. The guy is still wincing from his fall. The little girl gets out of his hold and has some tears going down her cheeks, a little frightened by the whole incident. The little girl is wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt, with a dark pink bow and a light pink, heart brooch at its center, a blue skirt, with a blue back bow, white socks, white shoes, with pink hearts and pink accents, and pink heart earrings.

Trudge and Minako run over to them. "Fellas! Skylara! What happened?!" Trudge asks. "What's going on?" Asks Minako. "We got down here and found this yahoo messin' around with Jack's duel runner, or tryin' to steal it or somethin'." Crow says. Trudge and Minako gasp. "Uh, boys, Skylara, this is…" Says Trudge. "Bruno! Why didn't you and Chibi Chibi come up to the restaurant?" Minako asks, scolding. Her scolding scares the little girl more and she runs over to Skylara, clings onto her leg and hides behind her, crying. Skylara then goes down to her knees and picks up the little girl, now standing back up to her feet. The little girl looks up at Skylara, with tears streaming down her cheeks, and her eyes widen, in sudden realization. "Mama." Says the little girl, softly. She soon settles down almost immediately, now just somewhat lying in Skylara's arms. The mystery tinkerer bows to the floor, frantically, caught in the act and desperate to make amends, stammering. "Uh, ah, gu-ah-uh, I saw that incredible duel runner and I just had to start poking around! I couldn't help myself! I don't even know…" He keeps stammering in the background, as Skylara turns to Minako and Trudge. "So, I'm guessing these two are the strays you wanted us to adopt." Skylara says. "Yeah, this is Bruno and the one you're holding is Chibi Chibi." Says Minako, resigned. "Are you serious?! Whaddaya think we should do, Skylara?" Crow asks. "What are you asking me for?" Asks Skylara.

Jack roars back into the garage.

"Look, Jack's back." Minako says.

Jack doesn't even stop, he grabs Bruno, pulls him aboard his runner, and drives out the other side of the garage. "I'm gonna borrow this chump!" Says Jack.

Yusei, Skylara, Crow, Minako and Trudge stand there for a moment, stunned. "Huh. I didn't see that comin'." Yusei says. "Come on, let's go." Says Skylara. "Go where?" Trudge asks. Skylara's already astride her runner, putting on her helmet. Chibi Chibi is sitting in front of Skylara, holding onto her shirt, tightly. "Just hold on tight, alright?" Asks Skylara, softly. "Chibi." Chibi Chibi says. "Don't worry, we shall take it from here." Says Skylara. "Thanks for the grub, dudes!" Crow says, quickly. He, Skylara and Yusei peel out of the garage after Jack.

Trudge and Minako stand there blinking, then share another look, completely mystified.

At the garage. Bruno hits the floor, having just been thrown there, landing close to Skylara's feet. Bruno puts up his hands, defensively, kneeling on the floor. Bruno's gray eyes are strangely blank. "Please, let's not do this! I think I'm a pacifist!" Says Bruno. Jack's standing over him, hands balled into fists. Crow and Yusei are standing to either side. "Either a' you guys know what a 'pacifist' is?" Crow asks. "Spill it fast, ya little thug! What did you do to my duel runner?!" Asks Jack. "Why do you think he did something?" Skylara asks. "My duel runner's boosting power is recharging faster." Says Jack. "It is?" Yusei asks. "I front-loaded the D-T-R, and adjusted the way your C-P crunches logorithms! That's all!" Says Bruno. "O-kay, um, I have no idea what you just said, but it's sounding like you managed to give Jack's runner more oomph, is that right? An' it only took ya a few minutes?" Crow asks. "You sabotaged it, I know it." Says Jack. Yusei kneels down and puts both hands on Bruno's shoulders. "You've got to show me how you did what you did!" Yusei says, amazed.

A little while later. Bruno types away at his desktop computer, which shows a bright green schematic of Jack's runner. Yusei, Skylara, Jack and Crow are watching the screen over Bruno's shoulders. Skylara's still holding Chibi Chibi, who seems to sort of be falling asleep. "See how the boost is running through the core processor? I tweaked the code line so the timing would start earlier. So, the energy generates from the get-go." Says Bruno. "But, won't that overheat the intake manifold?" Yusei asks. "What're they saying?" Asks Crow, aside to Jack. "A tiny brain like yours could never understand! Just don't let your guard down anytime soon." Jack says, aside to Crow. "This line coding is relatively universal, so I can make the same adjustments to your other duel runners, too. Give 'em a little more kick." Says Bruno. "Really? Do mine next!" Crow says. "Didn't you hear what I said to you, don't trust 'im!" Says Jack. "Sure thing. Hey, and also, if you want, I can reroute your alternator's output through a solenoid, and then bind the whole connection with an expansion struc, which oughta increase your overdrive a little." Bruno says. "Ooh! Yeah! Yeah! Do that!" Says Crow. "Uuuggghhh!" Jack says, groaning, face palm. "So, your name is Bruno? Is that right?" Asks Skylara. "Yeah, I think that's my name. I don't know if Trudge and Minako told you, but I'm having kind of a hard time remembering some things about myself. And that little girl that you're holding, I don't exactly know what her actual name is. So, I just call her Chibi Chibi 'cause that's all I've basically heard her say. And I don't know where her parents are, either. But, I've never seen her warm up to someone so fast." Bruno says. Chibi Chibi is asleep, curled up into almost a ball in Skylara's arms, her head lying against her chest. "Mama. Dada." Says Chibi Chibi, softly, talking in her sleep. "Well, my name is…" Skylara says. Bruno takes a hold of one of her hands, generously. "You're Skylara Galatea, I know." Says Bruno. He then kisses Skylara's hand, politely, making Jack a little jealous. Jack growls under his breath. Bruno stops and then releases Skylara's hand. "And Yusei Fudo, Crow Hogan, and you're Jack Atlas." Bruno says. "So listen, there's something I'm havin' a hard time with. Look. Maybe you can help me figure this out." Says Yusei. He brings up a different schematic on the screen, a gear-shaped cross-section with innumerable moving parts. "Is this a planetary particle engine design?" Bruno asks. "Uhh, yeah, how did you…?" Asks Yusei. "Have you constructed it yet?" Bruno asks, eagerly. "Not one that works." Says Yusei. "Well, the control program looks pretty tight, but, wait, is that an automatic retrofit that's running? That could be your problem, right there. Without an intermediate compiler built into your code, you could be losing processing time. I could work on building one into your program for you if you want me to." Bruno says. Yusei's been listening to him, closely. Jack turns to Yusei, still suspicious, but he isn't listening, this is too big of an opportunity. "We still don't know what this guy's after, you can't just say, 'hey, look, here's all my top-secret designs'!" Says Jack. "Come on, Jack. Not now, okay? We're trying to have, like, a real conversation here." Yusei says. "Wha-you, are you implying that you and I don't have real conversations?!" Asks Jack. Yusei entirely doesn't notice, leaning over Bruno's shoulder to look at the screen. "The challenge in this design is gonna be stabilizing the mini-turbo properties…" Bruno says. "But, Yusei." Says Jack, stunned and hurt. "Stop tryin' to bother 'em, Jack! They're in the middle of a real conversation! They're talking about things a…" Crow says. He puts on an accent like Jack's. "…tiny brain like yours could never understand!" Says Crow, smugly and teasing. "Ugh-you're the one who-oh, forget it!" Jack says. He turns and heads for the stairs.

Yusei and Bruno are entirely oblivious to this, they've kept talking the whole time. "…Right, but if you lower the G-P-M, you lose core momentum. That's not the best tradeoff." Says Yusei. "Good point. I guess we could boost the momentum in a different way by directing the energy…" Bruno says.

Sometime later. Crow has gotten tired of standing around and is now watching the two engineers from a comfy chair on the stair landing above. Skylara seems to have gone up to bed.

Chibi Chibi is asleep on the couch, with a blanket over her.

Now Yusei's sitting at the keyboard and Bruno's leaning over his shoulder. "…Channel the energy into the accelerator, we could increase the momentum…" Says Bruno.

"Good job, boys. Keep it up. I'll just be up here supervising." Crow says, tiredly. He yawns.

"…That oughta help keep things cool for the…" Says Bruno.

A bit after dawn. Crow has fallen asleep in his chair.

"This concept might work, Yusei! I think we're onto something! We should start building the program right away." Bruno says. "I can't thank you enough, Bruno. I've been struggling with this system for months now." Says Yusei. "My coding ideas all sprang outta your structure design. It's solid work! You really are your dad's son." Bruno says. He notices several cup-of-noodles packages sitting on the shelf. "Hey, mind if I have one of these?" Asks Bruno. "Wait, how do you know about my dad?" Asks Yusei. Bruno scratches at the packaging on the noodles with a fingernail. "I'm not sure, I just know. Just like I know your sister is related to the Goodwin brothers, she's the daughter of Roman Goodwin and the niece of Rex Goodwin, right? But, she's the mere image your mom, from what I've heard. Your dad discovered planetary particles, right? And that led him to the planetary gear concept. Now that I think about it, 'Yusei' means 'planetary', right? So, that's how you got your name?" Bruno asks. "Uh, yeah, I guess it is." Says Yusei. "Stupid-cellophane won't-ah!" Bruno says. He throws the plastic wrap in the waste basket. "There we go!" Says Bruno. He gets hot water for his noodles from a dispenser on the shelf. "So, seriously, how do you know all of this?" Yusei asks. On the screen is an image of his simple, but beautiful design, a central gear that rotates four others around an outside serrated circle. "I dunno. It's just, as soon as I saw your planetary engine design, something clicked. But I don't know why. That's an amazing gear construct, ya know? So simple, but every part is so interconnected. No single piece could function without the other in place." Says Bruno. "I know what you mean. This is gonna sound kinda cheesy, but I sometimes think it's like me, my sister and my friends. We depend on each other, and if you take one of us away, things don't work right." Yusei says. Bruno has been slurping his noodles. "I get it. I think that's a great way of looking at it." Says Bruno. "So, what's the last thing about yourself that you remember?" Yusei says. "Ah, waking up on the beach a few days ago." Says Bruno. "Hmm. Maybe you and Chibichibi were in a boating accident or something." Yusei says. Bruno's already done with his noodles. "Yeah. Maybe. I really have no sense of who I am, Yusei. But for whatever reason, working on duel runners just feels right." Says Bruno. "I hear ya. Listen, Bruno, if you want, you and Chibi Chibi can crash here with us until you figure things out. Yeah?" Yusei asks. "You don't mind?" Asks Bruno. "I've gotta make this new engine model before the Grand Prix, and I think with your help I can. So, whaddaya say? You wanna build this baby?" Yusei asks. "Yeah! Think of me as one more piece of machinery joining up to make sure everything's working right." Says Bruno. "Well then, let's get started!" Yusei says. "You got it!" Says Bruno. Yusei offers a hand, and he clasps it.

Skylara, Jack and Crow are sitting on the couch in the room above the garage, listening to Yusei and Bruno converse in engine jargon at the computer against the far wall and clearly sick and tired of it. Chibi Chibi is sitting at Jack and Skylara's feet, playing with some alphabet blocks on the floor, like what any normal two or three-year-old would do.

"So basically, it's gonna act as an external magneto-optic drive." Yusei says. "Perfect!" Says Bruno.

The twins come running up the stairs.

Yusei completely doesn't notice. "That frees up twenty-two…" Yusei says.

"Hey Yusei! Let's have a duel!" Says Leo.

"…which is more…" Yusei says.

"Leo wants to show off a new combo he learned!" Says Luna.

Akiza is the next to climb the stairs, carrying a textbook. "Hey Yusei, about my physics and calculus homework!" Akiza says.

"…well, that's good, but…" Says Bruno.

"Ssssh!" Crow says. "Who is this new guy?" Asks Leo. "Some stray dog that Yusei decided to take in!" Jack says. "He's like some kinda mega-super-genius engineer, or somethin'." Says Crow. "D'you think he could do cool stuff to my duel board, like give it more flashing lights and stuff?" Leo asks. "Yea-a-a-ah, no." Says Crow. "So, what're they talking about?" Luna asks. "Duel runners, and computers, and engines, and stuff. They've been ignoring us for days and speaking their own language, they're like, bestest friends now." Says Crow. "But, I'm Yusei's bestest friend!" Leo says. "Yeah, okay, what makes you his bestest friend?" Asks Luna. "I just am!" Leo says. Luna then notices Chibi Chibi, playing with her alphabet blocks. Chibi Chibi looks up at Luna, with a smile, and runs over to her. "Chibi." Says Chibi Chibi. Luna's face just suddenly lights up. "Hey, who's this little cutie?" Luna asks. "Oh, that is Chibi Chibi." Says Skylara. "When did she start living here?" Leo asks. "She came when Bruno did." Says Jack. "Yeah, and now she keeps following Skylara and Jack around. And for some reason, she keeps calling Jack 'Dada' and Skylara 'Mama'. Maybe if we can't find her parents, you two should just adopt her as your own. I mean, she already calls you 'Mama' and 'Dada' anyway. So, it would probably work out just fine." Crow says, teasing with them. Jack and Skylara glare over at Crow. "Shut up, Crow." Says both Jack and Skylara. Chibi Chibi then runs back over to them and sits herself between them. Akiza sighs. "Is there something wrong, Akiza?" Skylara asks. Akiza turns away. "I'm taking off. I'm not up for sitting around here and getting in the way." Says Akiza. "It's sounding to me like somebody's a little jealous!" Leo says, teasing. Akiza looks over her shoulder. "Never forget that I could squash you like a grape if I wanted to!" Says Akiza.

Skylara, Jack and Crow watch her walk down the stairs out of sight.

In the pause, Yusei and Bruno can be heard again, who have kept working, oblivious, this whole time.

Leo turns to Luna.

"…Momentum." Yusei says. "Well, that's good, but if we…" Says Bruno.

"She is really scary when she's angry!" Leo says.

"…lost energy..." Says Bruno.

Yusei's fingers fly across a keyboard, lines and lines of data and charts and graphs, including a schematic of the planetary particle design and 3D blueprints of Yusei's, Jack's, Skylara's and Crow's duel runners, appear on the screen. Yusei and Bruno are working side-by-side at a pair of desktop computers, typing away at top speed. "Great idea. Seems good! It's working!" Bruno says. The blue light of the computer screens reflects in each pair of eyes. At last, Yusei stands up at the desk. "And, done!" Says Yusei. "I think we did it, Yusei. This design is gonna work." Bruno says. "Yeah." Says Yusei. "So, considering it's been about three days since we slept, I think I'm gonna go crash into a pillow now." Bruno says. "We'll install the program into the processing unit tomorrow." Says Yusei. They leave their computers running and turn out the lights. The monitors go to sleep.

While Yusei sleeps in his bed and Bruno snores on the couch, a figure approaches one of the computers.

Morning. "The design program was stolen?!" Jack asks. He, Yusei, Bruno, Skylara and Crow are gathered before the computers. Skylara is holding Chibi Chibi in her arms once again, she's wide awake. "Whoever took it must've copied it to another drive and then deleted it from ours!" Says Yusei. "We were so tired last night, we didn't think to back it up or anything!" Bruno says. Jack grabs him by the collar. "You're not fooling me, you took it! This was your plan all along!" Says Jack. "What?! I-I didn't take it!" Bruno says. "Calm down, Jack." Says Skylara. "Dada." Chibi Chibi says, softly. "He infiltrated us so that he could get close to you and steal your design!" Says Jack, addressing Yusei. "You don't know that's true!" Crow says. "And you don't know that it's not true!" Says Jack. "So, you are saying that Bruno faked amnesia. So, that he could get in with Trudge and Minako. So, that he could trick all of us, so that he could steal the design that he didn't even know existed, and now that the design has been stolen, he is still hanging around here with us just because." Skylara says. "Chibi." Says Chibi Chibi, as if in agreement. It's hard for Jack to argue with that. "That's, well, right, but, fine! You guys'll have to make the program again!" Jack says. "I-I wish it was that simple, but, building a complicated program is like staging a concert. You're in the moment, there's a lot of ad-libbing going on. It's pretty close to impossible to re-create it." Says Bruno. Crow is blowing on the table. "So, the only way to get the file back is to catch the thief?" Jack asks. "Pretty much." Says Bruno. "Well, whoever this perpetrator was, he must've been wearing gloves a' some sort, 'cause I'm not seeing any fingerprints anywhere." Crow says. "Ah, so suddenly you're a forensics expert?" Asks Jack. "Huh?" Bruno asks. "What is it?" Asks Skylara. Bruno walks over to the noodle shelf. "There were four Noodles to Go-Go cups here when we went to sleep." Bruno says. "What?! He stole my Noodles to Go-Go?!" Asks Jack. Then Bruno spots a cellophane wrapper in the wastebasket. "Aha." Bruno says. "What?" Asks Jack. "Whad'ja find?!" Crow asks. "Gimme a second." Says Bruno. He opens a drawer of tools and gets a pair of tweezers, then uses them to pick up the cellophane, examining it in the light. "What is it?" Crow asks, whispering. Bruno gasps. "I think we've got a fingerprint after all." Says Bruno. The other four gather around, the cellophane in his tweezers clearly shows a single fingerprint. "While the criminal was waiting for the data to copy, he treated himself to one of our noodle cups." Bruno says. "He what?!" Asks Jack. "What a jerk." Crow says.

Flashback. Bruno scratches at the plastic wrap on the noodle cup he ate during his conversation with Yusei. "Like me the other day, he was having a hard time with the cellophane, so he had to take his gloves off." Says Bruno. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Yusei then glances over at Skylara. "What?" Skylara asks. "This is usually your specialty isn't it, Skylara? Blister was the one who taught you how to hack into stuff like this." Says Yusei. "I don't know, Yusei. It has been a while." Skylara says. Yusei then goes down to one of his knees right in front of her, possibly to beg her for her help. "Please, Skylara. I'll beg if I have to, just please help us." Says Yusei. He then grabs a hold of Skylara's wrist. "I can't do this without you now." Yusei says. Skylara sighs. "Fine. I shall help you, Yusei." Says Skylara. Yusei then lets go of her wrist and stands back up. "Thanks, sis." Yusei says. Skylara hands Chibi Chibi over to him, who takes her and holds her in his arms.

Skylara is now at the computer stations, typing away. "Please tell me you're not doing what I think you're doing." Says Jack. Skylara glances back. "If we can find an exact match for this fingerprint in the Security Bureau's database, then we shall know who our bad guy is." Skylara says. "But, won't their database be encrypted, protected by firewalls, detection systems, and all that? Won't they trace your hack and then arrest us all?" Asks Jack. "That is why I am going to relay our hacking connection through a bunch of remote servers all over the world. It will buy us some time." Skylara says. Her screen shows insets of several map locations and draws a dizzying pattern of lines all across the map representing the server relays. "This is where I will need your help, Bruno. Think you can get into the system in five minutes?" Asks Skylara. "Possibly. But, it'll be close." Bruno says. "Your call. You want them to stop?" Asks Yusei, addressing Jack. "You haven't asked for my input during any of this, why start now!" Jack says. "You gonna knock me around if I fail?" Asks Bruno, teasing. "Of course I'll knock you around!" Jack says. "Okay, let's do it. I'm going in now." Says Bruno. He starts typing. Scrolling windows of text open on Yusei's screen. "They have started tracing us. How is it looking?" Skylara asks. "It's a relatively simple F-T-P system. I should be able to crack it!" Says Bruno. Jack and Crow watch, a bit nonplussed. "So, what're you thinking, Crow?" Jack asks. "Thinkin' that Bruno really seems to really know what he's doing!" Says Crow. "Nice! One more wall and we're inside the system!" Bruno says. On his screen, it travels down a virtual hallway, turns a virtual corner, and a virtual door opens before them, revealing a dueling field. The opposing player appears to be a locked metal door, with a red light on top. The opponent has 2300 lifepoints to our 1000 lifepoints. "Wha? What's goin' on? How come a duel screen just popped up?" Asks Crow. "Looks like, an end game." Yusei says, now leaning over Skylara's shoulder. "They must be using the end game of a duel to function as the main system password." Says Bruno. "So, if we don't win this duel we can't move forward?!" Crow asks. "Yes, that sums it up. We have four minutes." Says Skylara. "Oh, great, I mean no pressure or anything!" Crow says. "Don't worry, we can do this. The opponent's got twenty-three-hundred lifepoints and we've got a thousand." Says Bruno. They survey the playing field.

The computer has five monsters in play, Red Gadget in defense mode, Yellow Gadget in defense mode, Green Gadget in attack mode, Ancient Gear Soldier in attack mode and Stronghold the Moving Fortress in attack mode. In its spell and trap zone are the continuous spell 'The Dark Door' and a face down card. Red Gadget has 1300 attack points, 1500 defense points, is a level 4 monster and is an earth type monster. Yellow Gadget has 1200 attack points, 1200 defense points, is a level 4 monster and is an earth type monster. Green Gadget has 1400 attack points, 600 defense points, is a level 4 monster and is an earth type monster. Ancient Gear Soldier has 1300 attack points, 1300 defense points, is a level 4 monster and is an earth type monster.

"He's got five monsters on the field, and in his spell and trap card zone, he's got one face down card." Bruno says. "And there's an activated spell in play, 'The Dark Door'." Says Jack. "Right. Meanwhile, we've got Tragoedia on our field." Bruno says.

Tragoedia has ? attack points, ? defense points, is a level 10 monster and is a dark type monster.

"It gains six hundred attack points for every card in our hand. We're holding six at this point. So, Tragoedia's packing thirty-six-hundred attack points." Says Bruno.

Their hand is, 'Axe of Despair', 'Remove Trap', 'Cost Down', 'Tribute to the Doomed', 'Shooting Star Bow Seal' and Alector, Sovereign of Birds.

"So basically, we've gotta win this thing in one turn?" Crow asks. "Our main worry is that face down card on his field, that is the clincher." Says Skylara. "Okay, well this is finally the part where I get to step up and save the day!" Crow says. He takes over the computer from Bruno. "Move over, mainframe, and let me do my thing." Says Crow.

A little cartoony caricature of Crow appears on the dueling field behind Tragoedia and opposite the enemy's line of machine monsters. "I got a powerful monster on the field and a 'Shooting Star Bow Seal' equip spell in my hand, so this is a no-brainer! By equipping the enemy's Green Gadget with 'Shooting Star Bow Seal', I can take away a thousand attack points! Bam!" Crow says.

Tragoedia's points decrease to 3000 and Green Gadget's to 400.

"An' now, Tragoedia can get in there and clean house! Watch an' enjoy!" Says Crow.

The locked door speaks in a computer-voice monotone. "Activating 'Mirror Force'. Access denied." The computer opponent says. The 'Mirror Force' trap forms a barrier around Green Gadget and causes Tragoedia's attack to rebound on it, obliterating Crow's monster.

"Huh?! That didn't work!" Says Crow. "And 'cause of the 'Dark Door' spell, each duelist can only attack once and we only had the one monster out. So, we can't win this turn." Yusei says. Jack grabs Crow by the collar. "You messed up and you wasted what little time we have!" Says Jack. "Ah-it's not my fault!" Crow says. "There is an upside to this, you guys. At least, we now know that his face down card is 'Mirror Force', that is good info." Says Skylara. "Yeah, yeah, that's exactly what I was trying to find out. That's why I did all a' that. Seriously." Crow says. "Let a real duelist handle this!" Says Jack. He takes over the computer next.

Jack also appears on the dueling field in caricatured cartoon form. "Real dueling is about increasing your own power at every opportunity and then crushing the other guy! So no sneaky weakening spells for this guy, thank you very much! I'm equipping Tragoedia with the 'Axe of Despair'! Now Tragoedia has four thousand attack points! Go, Tragoedia! Bring the axe down on Green Gadget!" Jack says.

Him, Yusei, Skylara and Crow gasp.

"Activating 'Mirror Force'. Access denied." Says the computer opponent.

And Tragoedia is destroyed again.

Crow pulls Jack out of the computer chair by the wrist. "Come on, we knew that card was 'Mirror Force'!" Crow says. Jack grabs his collar. "I was seeing if they change up the face down card between tries!" Says Jack. "Then why'd you waste time with that stupid speech about power!" Crow says. Skylara is watching the hacking trace eat up the confusing trail they laid for it on her computer screen. "I had to get into the spirit before attacking! I…" Says Jack. "I hate to interrupt. However, there is only two minutes left." Skylara says. "Let me try and take a crack at it." Says Bruno. "What?" Jack asks. "Can you do it?" Asks Skylara. "The only thing I can really remember is my engineering training and my dueling skills. Dueling's clearly a part of who I am." Bruno says. Skylara hesitates for a moment and then smiles. "Well, let's hope it is a really big part." Says Skylara. Bruno nods and sits down in front of the computer. "You're putting this in his hands?!" Jack asks. "Why not, it's not like you were much help." Says Crow. Bruno doesn't seem to notice, quietly staring at the screen, almost in a trance. "Come on, Bruno. I know you can do this. Be the cards." Crow says. "I got it!" Says Bruno.

Cartoony Bruno appears on the field in the computer. "Okay, first of all, the obvious problem is that 'Mirror Force' trap card. We can't let that thing activate. Of all the monsters on the field, the only one that can seal away 'Mirror Force', is Ancient Gear Soldier. It's got the power to prevent traps from activating during battle." Bruno says.

"Well, great, except that Ancient Gear Soldier's on the opponent's field." Says Jack.

Computer Bruno looks up at big, scary Tragoedia, thoughtfully. "That's why I'll use Tragoedia's special ability. See, by sending a monster card in my hand to the graveyard, I can gain control of an opponent's monster, as long as it's the same level as the monster I discarded. Ancient Gear Soldier is a level-four. Unfortunately, the only monster card currently in our hand is a level-six Bird King Alector. But, we've also got the 'Cost Down' spell card." Bruno says.

"We can activate 'Cost Down' by discarding one card from our hand. That'll lower the level of every monster in our hand by two." Says Bruno. "So, you can make Alector a level-four, same as the Ancient Gear!" Crow says. "Exactly." Says Bruno.

"From my hand, I activate the 'Cost Down' spell! By discarding 'Remove Trap', I can decrease the level of the Alector in my hand from six to four!" Bruno says. Alector, Sovereign of Birds has 2400 attack points, 2000 defense points, is a level 6 monster and is a wind type monster. "Then, thanks to Tragoedia's special ability, by sending Alector to the graveyard I can gain control of Ancient Gear Soldier!" Says Bruno.

"Great, now hurry up and equip the 'Axe of Despair', and get in there and attack Green Gadget." Jack says. "No. Not yet." Says Skylara. "Why not?" Jack asks. "Skylara's right. Even if we use 'Axe of Despair' like Jack did to increase Ancient Gear Soldier's attack points, and then use 'Shooting Star Bow Seal' to lower Green Gadget's attack points down to four hundred like Crow did, we can still only damage the opponent by nineteen-hundred points. That's not enough." Says Bruno. "So, what do we do?" Jack asks. "I'm not sure. There's gotta be some way for us to, wait! Look! Stronghold, the Moving Fortress!" Says Bruno. "Good thinking." Jack says. "Whaddaya mean, that things got three thousand attack points!" Says Crow. "It's only got three thousand attack points when all three of its Gadgets, Green Gadget, Yellow Gadget and Red Gadget, are out on the field with it, but without all those gadgets together, Stronghold the Fortress loses its attack points and becomes totally defenseless!" Bruno says. "Let's finish this." Says Skylara. She and Bruno share a nod.

"By sending 'Shooting Star Bow Seal' from my hand to my graveyard, I can activate the 'Tribute to the Doomed' spell card! And with that, I can destroy Green Gadget!" Bruno says. Bandages sprout from the ground, like strangling vines, and Green Gadget gets wrapped and tangled in them, then explodes. "With Green Gadget gone, Stronghold loses all of its attack points!" Says Bruno.

Stronghold's points now read 0 and it shrinks to become a little tiny Stronghold.

"Now, I equip the 'Axe of Despair'! Ancient Gear Soldier's attack points increase to twenty-three-hundred! And with that, Ancient Gear Soldier attacks Stronghold!" Bruno says.

Ancient Gear Soldier stomps and mini-Stronghold falls over, jumps up and starts scuttling away. Soldier brings down the axe and Stronghold gets smashed.

"Access granted." Says the computer opponent. The locking mechanism on top of the door opens, the light turns green and the portal below it slides open, streaming white light. "Welcome." The computer opponent says.

Jack and Crow cheer. "All right!" Says Jack. "Oh, yeah!" Crow says. "With ten seconds to spare!" Says Yusei. "Let's get a match on that fingerprint!" Bruno says. His screen features a window that flashes through several fingerprints on file, comparing it with the one he found. Finally, it stops on one and it flashes red. A match, and a full-screen picture appears of the culprit. Even in silhouette, they can recognize... "Him?!" Asks Jack. "You know him?" Bruno asks. "Yes, he is with the Public Security Bureau." Says Skylara. The picture has become full-color, and it is indeed... "His name is Lazar." Skylara says.


	17. Chapter 17

_Chapter 17: Get With The Program: Part 1_

The computer screen shows a full-screen image of the culprit's face. "I just can't believe it. Lazar? It doesn't make sense. Why would he want to steal our engine design program?" Yusei asks. "I dunno, Yusei. But come on, proof is proof. And his prints were here, so that means he must've been here, too." Says Jack, with his arms wrapped around Skylara's ribcage. Skylara's holding Chibi Chibi in her arms, who's head is lying on her chest. "But he's, like, a New Domino bigshot! Not exactly the breaking-and-entering type, no one's gonna believe us!" Crow says. "Yeah, so I say we go find the weasel and get 'im to confess the crime, straight up!" Says Jack. "But, why would he confess? After all, if the guy's a thief then it's a safe bet he's gonna be a liar, too. Look, if he stole the program, then he's gotta be planning to do something with it. What if we were to follow 'im?" Bruno says. "And then what?" Asks Skylara. "Then if he does something suspicious, we just grab 'im." Jack says. "Right, and catch 'im red-handed with our program!" Says Crow. "I like it." Skylara says. "What are we goin' to do with the kid? We can't just take her with us, we don't know what's goin' to happen." Says Crow. Skylara looks down at Chibi Chibi, who yawns and looks up at her, all smiles and giggles. "I shall see if Zora can watch her until we get back." Skylara says. "Great. I'll find out where he is now, wha?" Asks Bruno. He stops when Yusei puts a hand on his shoulder and looks up. "Bruno, this program's about more than just lines of code. It's about our dreams, it's about the bond we all share." Yusei says. "I know." Says Bruno. "Then you know that we have to get it back at any cost!" Yusei says.

Daytime, somewhere near the top of the Public Security Bureau building. Lazar laughs, triumphantly, waving a small red flash drive. Lazar's on the holo-phone. "Hahahahahahaha! As requested, my most eminent Directors. I have fetched you the program." Says Lazar. "And you are certain that no one can trace this theft back to us?" Galaxia asks, via-phone. "Why of course! Skylara and those dimwits probably still don't know it's gone! You have nothing to fear!" Says Lazar. "Very well. Now then, deliver the program to me. Primo and I shall be waiting." Galaxia says, via-phone. "Now? But, I was just about to get lunch." Says Lazar. The tiny holographic Galaxia points her tiny holographic sword at his nose. "How about you get moving, or else!" Galaxia says, via-phone. "Right! Ahaha! A much better idea!" Says Lazar.

Outside. Yusei, Crow, Jack, Skylara and Bruno are staking out the building from behind a corner. "Ya think this bloke is ever gonna show?" Jack asks.

A limo pulls up.

"Oh, yeah!" Says Yusei. "There 'e is!" Crow says.

A Security officer holds the car door for Lazar, who climbs into the back seat, and salutes, as the limo drives away.

Five runners coast out from behind the corner and follow at a distance.

"Driver, take me to the Directors and step on it! Hm! What in the world?" Asks Lazar. He's spotted the rear-view camera and zooms in with a remote. Yusei, Jack, Skylara, Crow and Bruno are following him. Incidentally, Bruno's runner is nondescript in form and bright yellow. _"I can't believe it, it's them! Could they be onto me? But how? No matter, I'll simply give them the slip! And I know just the place!"_ Lazar thinks to himself. "Change of plans, driver. Take this first left to the Mall!" Lazar says.

New Domino City's mall is several stories and wings of wall-to-wall shopping. Holographic displays, arcane chandeliers and plenty of bustling people. _"Ooh, this is perfect! So many people, so many shops, so many places for me to hide!"_ Lazar thinks to himself. He himself is walking down one of many corridors between shops. _"I'll lose those simpletons in no time! So far, so good."_ Lazar thinks to himself.

He spots Yusei and company watching him from behind a corner.

Lazar smiles, fiendishly to himself, and innocently eyes the other side of the hallway. _"Nothing could distract me from ditching these dolts now! I'm a man on a mission!_ _A_ _fixture of focus!_ _O_ _ooh, lunch!"_ Lazar thinks to himself. He darts to a nearby stand.

"Shall we?" Asks Jack, aside. "Yeah. Let's go get 'im." Yusei says, aside. "With pleasure!" Says Crow, aside.

Lazar is like a clowny, amoral, rather creepy child in a candy store. Lazar doesn't see Jack stroll by in the background, casually. "Ahhh! Oh my, look at all these flavors! I always have the hardest time choosing." Lazar says. He gasps. "Wait a minute, I won't choose! I'll just order every one of them!" Says Lazar.

Now Jack's waiting on one side of him, Crow on the other. Then Lazar notices them. Then they pounce. Jack grabs Lazar by the arms and Crow by the legs, each gripping as tightly as he can.

Yusei, Skylara and Bruno join them. "Stop! Unhand me! Don't you nincompoops have any idea who I am?!" Lazar asks. "Sure do, you're the guy who stole our program." Says Yusei. Lazar stops struggling. "So give it back!" Bruno says. "Uh, what program is that?" Asks Lazar. "Cut the routine! We found your fingerprints in our garage, we know that you were there!" Crow says. "Uh-oh!" Says Lazar. "That's right!" Jack says. He noogies the sides of Lazar's face with his elbows. "I guess this isn't the first time your appetite got you into trouble! That Noodles To Go-Go was mine, by the way!" Says Jack.

Flashback. Lazar leaves the computer screen and struggles with the cellophane on a noodle cup. Lazar pulls off his glove with his teeth and opens it. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Jack's still noogieing Lazar's face between his elbows. _"When will I learn! I should carry snacks, it's economically prudent and great for when you're on the run! Speaking of, it's time I run out on these guys!"_ Lazar thinks to himself. "Sorry, gents and lady! I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm all out of breath!" Lazar says. He gasps in a huge breath, lets it out and pops right out of his coat, and Jack and Crow's grip on him.

"Wha?!" Asks Yusei, Skylara, Jack, Crow and Bruno. They turn, in time to see Lazar spin about ten times high in the air and land on his feet, apparently he was wearing another coat just like it underneath.

"Heeheeheeheeheehee! See ya on the flip side, ta ta!" Lazar says. He waves twice, in sync with the 'ta ta', and then hops up on the balcony rail, effortlessly, and balances, running on that.

All five of them run after Lazar. "Stop!" Says Jack. "After 'im!" Crow says. They round the corner.

Lazar leaps from the rail, grabs a metal handle under the next floor up, then springs from that into a café on the floor above that, to the alarm of several people sitting there. "Why window-shop when you can window hop!" Says Lazar.

The guys and Skylara are left standing a few floors down. "Lazar moves pretty fast on an empty stomach." Crow says. "This way!" Says Yusei.

Elsewhere in the mall. Lazar rounds a corner and slows down. A display catches Lazar's eye and he walks toward it. "Hmm, mmhmhmhm!" Lazar laughs.

Skylara and the guys sprint up an escalator, drawing stares. "Comin' through!" Crow says. "Outta the way!" Says Yusei. "'Scuse me!" Bruno says. They reach the top and look around. "Where is 'e?" Asks Jack. "I don't see 'im!" Crow says. Yusei and Bruno look around. "Rrrrgh, there!" Says Skylara. She sees Lazar, three of him, strut out from behind a display, all three walking in perfect unison, arms swinging, comically, laughing in singsong. "Ah-haha-ha-haha-ha, ha-haha-ha-ha!" "Am I seeing triple?" Bruno asks. "That goes double for me!" Says Crow.

The three Lazars' strut back and forth a bit more, then make a dash for it. "Hn-hnhn-hn-hnhn-hn, hahaha!"

"Let's grab 'em!" Jack says. They run after the pair of Lazar clones, drawing more stares from the people in the toy store.

A third Lazar emerges from the back, smugly. "Mmhmhmhmhmhmhmhmhmhmhm!"

They continue to chase the Lazar clones. "Ah-haha-ha-haha-ha, hn-hnhn-hn-hn-mm!" They dash off in opposite directions.

Jack, Skylara and Yusei share a glance. "Come on, let's split up!" Says Jack. "Right!" Both Yusei and Skylara say. They split, Crow goes with Jack and Bruno with Yusei. Skylara is left on her own.

One Lazar clone prances through a crowd, cheerfully. "Ah-haha-ha-haha-ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ah-haha-ha-haha-ha!"

Crow and Jack are in hot pursuit. "Man, doesn't this guy ever slow down?! Huh?" Asks Crow.

The clone has reached the restroom doors at the end of the hallway. It capers back and forth between the doors, pauses between them, then enters the mens' room.

"Look! He went in the restroom!" Crow says. He looks gleeful and Jack seems relieved, they have Lazar cornered. "There's nowhere left for him to hide!" Says Jack. "All right! He's ours now!" Crow says.

Within a little while. Crow and Jack are standing in the mens' restroom, Lazar is nowhere in sight. "You sure about that?" Asks Jack. "Where could 'e have gone?" Crow asks. Then they spot a toy robot on wheels in one of the stalls.

Meanwhile. Yusei and Bruno are still chasing their Lazar clone. "Stop! Oh!" Says Bruno. He sees the Lazar clone run into a low-hanging fixture and pass right through it. _"Huh? How did he?! Enough!"_ Bruno thinks to himself. He throws open his vest, revealing an array of tools, pliers, wrenches and a screwdriver, that he pulls out and throws, it's a direct hit and Lazar vanishes.

Bruno's screwdriver is lodged under one of the wheels of the little toy holo-projector robot they were chasing. Yusei picks it up, it's small enough to fit comfortably in one of his hands. "A toy?" Yusei asks. "And not just any toy, it's the latest in remote-controlled holo-mobile technology. This whole time we've been chasing holograms." Says Bruno. "While the real Lazar made a run for it." Yusei says. They share a nod. "Mm-hmm. Wait, what about Skylara? She didn't follow either of us, she went her own way. Maybe she's chasing the real Lazar." Says Bruno.

Outside the mall. The real Lazar ends up running out the doors and waves down a taxi, looking quite smug indeed. Lazar doesn't see Yusei and Bruno, on their runners, watch him leave and follow him.

The taxi leads them into a part of town filled with factories, past the harbor and goes around a corner. Yusei and Bruno park their runners on the opposite side of the building and approach, stealthily. The taxi lets Lazar out in front of yet another factory in this part of town, a futuristic and sophisticated-looking one.

Yusei and Bruno peek out from behind a stack of giant metal pipes. "He's headed for that factory." Yusei says. "He sure is. Talk about suspicious." Says Bruno. "Yeah, whatever Lazar's planning on doing with that program of ours he swiped, my gut's telling me that he's gonna do it right now. So let's get ready, 'cause it's go-time!" Yusei says. "Right!" Says Bruno. They hurry toward the factory. "And there's no telling what we're gonna find in this place!" Bruno says. This factory complex is huge and very modern-looking.

Lazar walks down a dark hallway in the factory somewhere. _"I say, all this cloak-and-dagger business is such a hassle. I enjoyed things so much more when I was running sinister errands for Director Goodwin. Well here I am, the rendezvous. But where's Director Galaxia and Director Primo?_ _Late again, no doubt?"_ Lazar thinks to himself and yawns.

"You dare yawn in our presence?!" Asks Primo.

Lazar winces and snaps to, hurrying over to where he is sitting at a control desk at the center of the room, connected to the side of the room by walkways. Galaxia is standing beside Primo. "Yawn! No, of course not! I was simply opening my mouth 'cause I'm in such a state of awe around you! Anyway, sorry I'm a bit late! Traffic was a beast, you know how it is! But, enough about me, you…" Lazar says. As he approaches them he bows. With a sleight-of-hand trick, Lazar appears to pull the flash drive with the program out of his own cheek. "...Want this. Here!" Says Lazar. "Finally, the program is mine! And all of its might!" Primo says. Lazar is all ingratiating smiles and nervous laughs. "Ahahaha! Indeed it is, Director! And it was a pleasure to risk my neck to make sure of that! After all, getting your precious program was no easy feat." Says Lazar.

Flashback. Lazar opens the window to Skylara and the guys' garage, looks around and jumps down to the floor. "Not that I'm complaining, but I had to scale walls, jump out of windows, hack through firewalls. You know, kind of dangerous stuff?" Lazar asks, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "So I was wondering, what's in this for me? I accept cash or credit cards." Says Lazar. He smirks, anticipating his reward. Primo stands up, while Galaxia is glaring at Lazar. "Do you?" Galaxia asks. "Yes, I'm afraid no travelers' checks, though. Oh, what the hey, I guess in your case, I can make an exception!" Says Lazar. In a flash, Galaxia's sword is at his nose. "Ahh-h-h-h-h-h-h!" "Accept this, Lazar! Your reward is my mercy, you clown! And I suggest you take it!" Galaxia says. A light on the control console starts flashing and beeping. Galaxia, still pointing her sword at Lazar's face, brings up a holo-screen, calmly, and then sheathes her sword. They look at the screen, which shows Yusei and Bruno walking down a factory hallway, warily. "Huh?" Asks Lazar. "You were followed!" Galaxia says. "No! I was sure I slipped them!" Says Lazar. "Slipped them? Then you knew?!" Primo asks. "Aah! Speaking of!" Says Lazar. He runs away from Primo and Galaxia, stops and salutes, and then keeps running. "I'm slipping outta he-e-e-ere!" Lazar says.

Before he can even leave the room, he runs right into Skylara, knocking himself over. "Uh-oh." Says Lazar. He looks even more terrified of Skylara than either of the Directors. "How did you find me?" Lazar asks. Skylara points at his collar. "You lead me right to you." Says Skylara. Lazar looks and there's a little blinking tracking device on his collar.

Galaxia walks right up to them both. Lazar gets straight up to his feet, standing between the two. "Primo, go ahead and do what you came here to do. I have some matters to deal with." Galaxia says.

"As you wish, my Lady." Says Primo. He leaves out the other way and through the shadows.

Galaxia turns back to Skylara. "So, you have come to take back your program, have you?" Galaxia asks. She smiles. "Good luck. You shall need it here in my domain. I have been expecting you, Skylara." Says Galaxia. "I can't really say the same for you, Galaxia." Skylara says. "You two know each other?" Asks Lazar. "We have had a history. However, aren't you a sight for sore eyes, Skylara. I have to say, it is quite enjoyable seeing you again." Galaxia says. "I see you haven't changed one bit." Says Skylara. "Like wise, except for maybe a few exceptions." Galaxia says. She finally removes her hood to reveal the rest of her face. Galaxia's wearing a gold headdress, that resembles a Russian kokoshnik. Her long, golden-orange hair has been rolled back to fit into the headdress, giving it an overall crown-like appearance. Galaxia's red eyes can be seen for once, and along with her orange lipstick, she also wears light purple eyeshadow. Lazar gasps, seeing how closely similar they are to each other, aside from the obvious age difference. _"That_ _'_ _s why Galaxia looks so familiar to me, she resembles Skylara."_ Lazar thinks to himself. He then finally runs out of there.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Skylara. However, we shall not be fighting today. You have other things to worry about." Says Galaxia. "That is fine, I didn't feel like fighting you here anyway. I have other important things to do than to fight with you." Skylara says. Galaxia steps up, approaching her a little closer. Galaxia places one of her hands on Skylara's heart. Once she does, Galaxia can feel the power that resides within Skylara. It's trying to push Galaxia off and away from Skylara. Galaxia smiles. "Hm, such strong power that resides within you. Yet, you use it to defend these pitiful, unworthy humans and their precious little city. Although, I can't feel any sign of a Star Seed within you." Says Galaxia. She then takes her hand away. "That is not my own power that you feel. The power that you are feeling is the power of the Crimson Dragon itself. I'm not sure how long you lied dormant for. However, you should very well know that Star Seeds no longer exist, Galaxia." Skylara says. She turns and walks away. "By the way, if you ever place your hands on me again. I won't keep the Crimson Dragon's power held back. So if you ever try touching me again, you will be zapped off and pushed away by the Crimson Dragon's power. Until then, Galaxia." Says Skylara.

"I shall be looking forward to going into battle with you again." Galaxia says. She places her hood back on, shadowing her upper face once more. Galaxia passes one of her hands over part of the console, the sensor cells below light up, as her hand passes over them.

Yusei and Bruno walk past a section of wall with a small camera lens embedded into it. Bruno looks to the right. "Whoa." Says Bruno. They walk to the window on that side of the hallway, through the darkness, they can see a huge factory floor. "Check it out! You ever seen a factory like this one before? It's like something out of the inside of a spaceship!" Bruno says. "Yeah, I never even knew this place existed. I wonder what it is they build here?" Asks Yusei. Then they hear a siren. "Huh?! Is that alarm for us?!" Bruno asks. A door shutters closed. They look around, they're being locked in. "Think so." Says Bruno. "Run!" Yusei says. "Good idea!" Says Bruno. They run toward the closing shutters. Yusei gets under the door with a sort of slide-roll.

Bruno tries to slide, but has to get his arm out of the way before it closes, trapping him behind the locked door and Yusei ahead of it. "Ah!" Bruno says.

They shout through the door.

"Bruno! Bruno, can you hear me?!" Asks Yusei.

"Yeah, Yusei! I'm fine! Just keep on Lazar!" Bruno says.

"You sure? We could try and pry open this door somehow!" Says Yusei.

"Forget it, you go on ahead! I'll radio Jack, Skylara and Crow!" Bruno says.

"Okay!" Says Yusei. He keeps running down the dark hallway. At the end of it, a figure opens the door and Yusei's blinded for a moment in the light from the next room.

Lazar goes flying, having just been knocked over by Yusei bursting through the door he just opened. Yusei recovers and realizes who he just cornered on a narrow walkway above an empty, enclosed room. "Lazar!" Yusei says. "Uh-oh! Not again! First, the older half-twin and now the younger half-twin. And this ones just as menacing as the other one." Says Lazar.

The only source of light is an elevator that descends to this dark factory floor. Primo emerges. _"Once I install the program, it'll be too late for them to stop me! But in order to do that, I need time. I already took care of one problem."_ Primo thinks to himself. He looks down to the floor next to him, where Skylara lies almost motionless, aside from her breathing. Primo then looks to the side, up at a big, yellow robot, with a nasty-looking expression and plates across his chest that read 52,34. _"And that's where you come in, my friend."_ Primo thinks to himself. He holds up one of hands and it glows, with multicolored lights. The outline of a many-spoked gear appears in the lights. Primo reaches toward the robot, the light flows from his hand and sparks against its chest. After a moment, its eyes light up. Primo smiles, grimly. Primo then lifts Skylara up around the waist and slings her over his shoulder.

Lazar backs up, nervously. When he tries to run, Yusei grabs Lazar by the scruff of the neck. "Give us back the program, Lazar!" Yusei says. "What program? Eh, you mean like a T.V. program? Sorry, I don't have any of those!" Says Lazar, nervously. "Enough!" Yusei says. He slams Lazar against the wall face-first and releases his grip. "Hand it over right now or else!" Says Yusei. "'Or else'? Uh, isn't that something you should say before you slam a guy into a wall?" Lazar asks. Yusei brandishes a fist and he cowers, wailing. "That's it! Huh?" Asks Yusei.

They've been interrupted by a giant, yellow robot appearing out of a trap door in the floor below. It stands on four thick treads separated two to a massive 'foot'. The numbered panels on its chest are lit up blue and it flexes its thick, yellow arms and lights up the light bulbs on its head. It turns its head and looks right up at Yusei.

Lazar quails back. "What is that?!" Yusei asks.

The robot's eyes show lines of static, as it processes the image in front of it. It pinpoints Yusei's face, lines of text scroll past and a picture of him pops up on the screen for comparison. Yusei's facial mark is especially analyzed. "Visual authenticity confirmed. Yusei Fudo identified. Initiating premises lockdown." Says the robot.

The area shutters off itself, trapping Yusei and Lazar in this room with the robot.

"Premises lockdown complete. Yusei Fudo, the only way to override lockdown protocol systems is by defeating me in a duel." The robot says.

"A duel?!" Asks Yusei.

Primo is, of course, watching closely and from multiple angles on his surveillance screens. _"That's right, Yusei. And since I've inputted all your battle history and duel tactics into my guard robot's central processor, I think you'll find defeating him is no easy task! Huh?"_ Primo thinks to himself. The screens change, they now show Bruno, still poking around elsewhere in the factory. Bruno's approaching a closed door.

 _"Weird, I don't remember this corridor."_ Bruno thinks to himself. He examines the door and jiggles the locking mechanism for a moment, it's definitely locked with some weird lock. "Hmm." Bruno says. He spreads the halves of his vest, going for a tool to start tinkering with the lock. _"Well, might as well investigate while I wait for the others!"_ Bruno thinks to himself.

"Wait, so unless I defeat this bot in a duel, I'm gonna be stuck here in this little factory room forever?!" Asks Yusei. "No, not just you! Me too! And spending the rest of my life here with you doesn't sound too appealing, so get dueling already!" Lazar says.

"Computing alternative options for Yusei Fudo and probability of accepting duel conditions. Probability is one hundred percent." Says the robot.

"See? You've got no choice but to duel, and he did the math!" Lazar says. "Enough outta you!" Says Yusei. "Aaaaahh!" _"As much as I hate to admit it, L_ _a_ _zar is right. Even if I got the program back now, it wouldn't do me much good locked up in this room. It's clear what I have to do."_ Yusei thinks to himself. He vaults the railing and jumps down to the floor, easily. "Okay, you wanna duel? You've got one!" Yusei says.

The locked door opens and Bruno is standing in the doorway to a very dark room. Bruno can glimpse rows and rows of similar objects. "Whoa, where am I?" Asks Bruno.

Then Primo walks up behind him. "You're in a place that you do not belong." Primo says. "Hey, who are you?" Asks Bruno. Then he feels something, the world seems to reverse colors, he holds his own head, as though overcome with a terrible headache. "Aaaccghh! What're you doing?! Aghh, my head!" Bruno says. Primo punches him in the stomach while he's distracted, and he slumps to the floor, immediately unconscious. "You will not interfere!" Says Primo.

Inside the dark room Bruno glimpsed, Primo stands at the big control panel of doom at the center of the room. "Now, the time has at last come for you to awake, my pets! The time has come to give you life!" Primo says. He plugs in the flash drive Lazar gave him, the one with Yusei and Bruno's program on it. Energy spreads from the central control station where he stands outward in grooves or fiber-optics on the floor, lighting up the room with a ghostly light, flowing along row after row of parked runners, each with a robot sitting astride it that is a carbon copy of the Ghost that terrorized New Domino City a few weeks ago. One by one, their eyes light up. "And to keep the system going." Says Primo.

He makes Skylara appear in front of him, holding onto each of her wrists from behind. "With your powers, you're going to help me." Primo says. "No, I'm not! Now, let go of me!" Says Skylara. "Come now. Don't be stubborn, even though this machine will take most of your energy." Primo says. He brings Skylara forward. "Besides, by the time anyone can even help you. All of your energy will be gone." Says Primo. With one last attempt to pull and push Skylara forward, he's finally able to get her hands on the orb connected to the machine. Primo then releases Skylara and her hands are stuck to the orb, she can't get loose. "New Domino City had its hands full coping with just one duel bot. But, with thousands and thousands of them now running, there is no coping! There is simply doom! Ahahahahahahaha!" Primo says.

A central piece of the robot that was covering up the 1 on its chest, it now reads 52134, folds down and expands into a dueling surface. A deck shuffler below its chin shuffles its cards and deals five onto the central '1', which then spread out to the five positions. "It is time to duel." Says the robot.

 _"And if I plan to get out of this room in time to find our program, I better win, and fast!"_ Yusei thinks to himself. "Let's do this! From my hand, I activate the spell card 'One For One'! Now, by sending Speed Warrior in my hand to the graveyard, I can summon this monster, level-two Level Eater from my deck to the field in defense mode! Next I summon out Junk Synchron from my hand! Then, thanks to Junk Synchron's ability, I'm allowed to summon Speed Warrior from the graveyard to the field in defense mode! Now, level-three Junk Synchron, tune with level-two Speed Warrior!" Yusei says. His monsters dissolve into stars and start synchro-summoning. "From two come one, and from one will come great power! Watch as they merge their might and combine their courage to synchro-summon, Junk Warrior!" Says Yusei.

"Oh, my! A synchro-summon on the very first turn? We'll be out of here in no time!" Lazar says.

"There's more, since there's a level-two-or-below monster on my field, Junk Warrior's attack points now increase by the attack points of that monster! So, since Level Eater has six hundred, Junk Warrior gains six hundred!" Says Yusei. That gives Junk Warrior 2900. "Finally, I'll end my turn with a face down." Yusei says.

 _"Of course! That's why he summoned out the lowly Level Eater! So he'd gain the attack point bonus!"_ Lazar thinks to himself. "Well done, Yusei!" Says Lazar, applauding.

"The probability of Yusei Fudo initiating a synchro summoning during the first turn of a duel is, forty-five percent. Now, configuring retaliatory strategies." The robot says.

"Say what?! I don't like the sound of this!" Says Lazar.

"To counter, the action I must take during the second turn of play is to neutralize high-level monsters." The robot says.

"What?!" Asks Yusei.

"My turn." The robot says. It draws an additional card into its five chest slots, overlapping in slot 1, then the card from slot 4 is ejected downward and out onto the robot's dueling surface. "From my hand, I activate the spell card 'Level Limit-Area B'. Due to the effect of 'Level Limit-Area B', all level-four and higher monsters on the field must switch from attack mode to defense mode." Says the robot.

"Oh!" Lazar says. He does a huge gasp. "Poorly done, Yusei! All that work to bring out a synchro and now you can't even use him?! We'll never escape this room!" Says Lazar.

"Rrrgh!" Yusei growls under his breath.

"I now place three cards face down and end my turn." The robot says.

 _"One round down and that bot didn't even throw one monster. I'm starting to think this duel is more about buying time than beating me! But still, it'll take more than that level limit to limit my play! After all, if level-four monsters can't attack, I'll just go lower!"_ Yusei thinks to himself. "It's my turn! And first, I play 'Graceful Revival'. Thanks to this trap card, I get to select one level-two-or-below monster in my grave and summon it, in attack mode!" Says Yusei.

"Yes! I knew you could do it, Yusei! Now, Speed Warrior is back!" Lazar says.

The robot makes an error noise.

"Hmm?" Asks Lazar.

"The probability of Yusei Fudo summoning a monster to counteract the spell card 'Level Limit-Area B' is, ninety-eight percent." The robot says.

"Huh?!" Asks Yusei.

"Now activating anticipatory safeguard, the counter trap 'Malfunction'. By paying five hundred lifepoints, the activation of your trap card is negated, and it is returned back to its original state." The robot says.

Speed Warrior gets pulled back into the 'Graceful Revival' trap and it returns to its face down position on the field.

The robot's lifepoints are now 3500. "Now, because I was able to successfully counter your card, I am allowed to summon Lock Dragon to the field in defense mode." Says the robot.

Lock Dragon is a level-three dark-attribute dragon-type monster, with zero attack points and two thousand defense points.

"Yusei Fudo, while Lock Dragon is out on the field and positioned in defense mode, any and all special summons you attempt during the course of your turn are automatically negated. Cancelled out. Denied. Null and…" The robot says.

"Yeah, okay, I think I get the point!" Says Yusei.

"…Void." The robot says.

"But, that means Yusei won't be able to use synchros! And that means, he won't be able to play his very best monster, Stardust Dragon!" Says Lazar.

"Guess I have to admit it, in the duel battle between man and machine, this round goes to the machine." Yusei says.

"Incorrect. This round is not yet over." Says the robot.

"Ahh?!" Yusei asks.

"I activate the trap 'Counter Force'. Due to the activation of the previous counter trap, 'Counter Force' gains one counter. Then, when I elect to remove 'Counter Force' from play, it will deal damage to you equal to the amount of counters it has multiplied by one thousand." Says the robot. The first counter lights up and the core of the mechanism begins to pulse with light, slowly.

"Aaah! Wait! The more counters it has the more damage it gives?! Then once it has enough to take down all of Yusei's lifepoints, it'll be game over!" Lazar says.

 _"So much for this one round going to the machine!_ _U_ _nless I can get my game on and quick, that bot's gonna win the whole duel!"_ Yusei thinks to himself. He faces down the robot. _"And I'm gonna be stuck in this room forever!"_ Yusei thinks to himself.


	18. Chapter 18

_Chapter 18: Get With The Program: Part 2_

Crow pounds on the closed, shuttered door. "Come on, open! This makes no sense! The whole place, it's locked down!" Crow says. "Are you sure that we're in the right spot?" Asks Jack. "Yeah, this is where Bruno said to go. But now, I can't even get a hold of 'im!" Crow says. They're standing outside a giant, futuristic factory. "What's going on?" Asks Crow.

Inside, the duel bots' eyes are lighting up unit by unit.

"Yes! That's right! Awaken, my pets!" Primo says. On his computer screen above, the load is at 39% and change. "Let the program take hold! There's no one who can stop us now. They'll try." Says Primo. He looks up at another holographic screen, which is a live feed of Yusei's ongoing duel with the guard robot. Primo places both of his hands on Skylara's shoulders. "But, I've made certain that they'll fail!" Primo says. Skylara then suddenly falls to one knee, getting weaker of energy. _"Come on, Yusei. You can beat this thing."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

The big, yellow robot has Lock Dragon on the field in defense mode, the spell 'Level Limit-Area B' and the trap 'Counter Force' activated on its field, another card face down on its field and has 3500 lifepoints.

 _"That guard bot sure has put Yusei in a bind. With that Lock Dragon and the spell 'Level Limit-Area B' both out on the field, Yusei is not allowed to make any special summonings, nor can he attack with any of his high-level monsters!"_ Lazar thinks to himself.

Yusei, meanwhile, has Junk Warrior and Level Eater on the field, both in defense mode, and a single face down card. _"That bot bought himself some time by stopping me from using my best weapons."_ Yusei thinks to himself. He's looking at a trap card in his hand. _"But, if I time things right, that could all change!"_ Yusei thinks to himself. "To end my turn, I throw a face down." Says Yusei.

"It is now my turn to go, and I activate the spell 'Summon Pass'. Due to 'Summon Pass', when either of us summons a monster, the other player must then draw one card. The first player then has to guess what type of card it is. If the guess is different from the card that his opponent drew, the monster that was summoned is destroyed. According to my calculations the odds of you now successfully summoning a monster are decreased by, fifteen percent." The robot says.

"Rrrghh." Yusei growls under his breath.

 _"This is awful! So now Yusei can't even summon monsters for certain?!"_ Lazar thinks to himself.

"I now place one card face down and end my turn." Says the robot.

 _"That bot has five cards in its spell and trap card zone, and each one is meant to stall me! And the longer this duel goes, the more counters are accumulated and once there are four, 'Counter Force' will take out all my lifepoints! So if I'm gonna stop this cast-iron computer, I'm gonna have to do it quick!"_ Yusei thinks to himself. "It's my draw! And first, I'm gonna switch Level Eater into attack mode!" Yusei says. Level Eater switches, with 600 attack points. "Then, from my hand! I play the spell card 'Synchro Gift'! This allows me to take all the attack points of one a' my synchro monsters, and add them onto the attack points of one of my regular monsters. So go, Junk Warrior! Lend your power to Level Eater!" Says Yusei. Junk Warrior's attack points fall to zero and Level Eater's rise to 2900.

"Brilliant! Since Level Eater is just a level-one, it's not affected by the spell 'Level Limit-Area B'! And with the power-up, it can destroy Lock Dragon!" Lazar says.

"Level Eater! Take flight and attack!" Says Yusei.

"I activate a counter trap. 'Negate Attack'." The robot says.

"You what?!" Asks Yusei.

"Due to this card, your attack is negated and the battle phase immediately ends." The robot says.

A wind blows from 'Negate Attack' and forces Level Eater back over to Yusei's side.

"Also, due to the activation of 'Negate Attack', 'Counter Force's' effect activates. An effect that gives me one counter whenever a counter trap is played." Says the robot.

 _"Which means that bot is one counter closer to wiping out my lifepoints, and he's still got a face down on his field left to play!"_ Yusei thinks to himself. "The effect of 'Synchro Gift' is over, both my monsters' attack points now return to normal." Yusei says.

"So, it was all for naught?! The spell card, having that Level Eater attack, you mean the only thing this turn accomplished was, to give that bot another counter?! Ohh, this is ba-a-a-d!" Says Lazar.

Crow kicks in a metal grating on the side of the building and peers inside. "Not exactly the front door, but it'll hafta do." Crow says. He crawls through the makeshift entrance. Jack bends down and follows, reluctantly.

"My draw, I place one face down and end my turn." Says the robot.

 _"Another face down to contend with?! Looks like the time's still not right to play mine then. After all, if one of those face downs negate what I have planned, I'm finished! I've gotta figure out a way to get rid of them!"_ Yusei thinks to himself.

Primo is still watching the duel from his control booth, while the program loads. "I knew Yusei wouldn't stand a chance." Primo says. A holoscreen appears behind him, filled with Jakob's face, mask and beard. Jakob is angry and suspicious. "Primo!" Says Jakob, via-screen. "What do you want?" Primo asks. "I want to know what you're up to." Says Jakob, via-screen. Primo rolls his eye, innocently. "What I'm up to is none of your concern, Jakob! So, butt out!" Primo says, just barely masking the sarcastic contempt in his voice. "If whatever it is you're doing affects the grand design, then so help me, Primo!" Says Jakob, via-screen. "Why, of course it affects the grand design. It will help realize it. Now, if you'll excuse me." Primo says. He waves a hand. "Wait, Primo!" Says Jakob, via-screen. The screen vanishes. Then the rest of the booth's ambient light fades, leaving only the screens and controls lit up, the program's loading bar reads 100%. "Ahh. It is done! Now awaken, my children! Awaken and take to the streets of New Domino City! And this girl's power and energy will help." Primo says.

One by one, the duel bots' eyes light up, each a carbon copy of the Ghost. They swarm through an opening garage door at the end of the cavernous room.

Primo watches them go, chuckling evilly. "Heheheheheheheheheh!"

In the big blue room, with the lights and the thrones for each of the four Directors.

"Who does Primo think he is?!" Asks Jakob.

"Oh, I know! He's the guy who always ticks you off. Heheheheheh!" Lester says.

"This is nothing to joke about, Lester." Says Jakob.

"Calm down, Jakob. Primo has the same goal we all do, to make the circuit appear and have it activate. The only difference is he wants to fast-track it, not wait for you to slowly trick the Signers into somehow summoning it for us." Galaxia says.

"So. his big solution is this duel bot army?! How does he even know this program that the Signers were developing is going to work? There are simply too many things that can go wrong!" Says Jakob.

"Yes, but that's all part of the fun, don'tcha think?" Lester asks.

"Fun?!" Asks Jakob.

"Yeah, it's not like we're in trouble. I mean, who really cares what kind of panic we cause. The bottom line is that, one way or another, the circuit is going to appear, and when it does, none of this will matter!" Lester says.

"It matters! The grand design is a far more fragile thing than you make it out to be!" Says Jakob.

"Would you just quit worrying about it? Soon, the ultimate power will be ours and when it is, we shall unleash it on all those New Domino City drudges!" Galaxia says.

 _"Ours? I wouldn't be so sure!"_ Jakob thinks to himself.

Bruno is still lying knocked out on the floor, as the duel bots race past all around him.

Crow pokes his head out of another air duct, climbs out and jumps several feet to the ground. Crow's standing in a lit hallway.

Jack follows Crow. "Man. What is this place? From the outside it looks like a plain old factory." Says Crow. "Right. But now, it's looking super high-tech." Jack says. "Something's up. We better find Yusei, Skylara and Bruno, quick! So, let's get moving!" Says Crow. They run down the hall toward a lit doorway.

The duel bots are still roaring out of the factory.

Primo walks down to the control booth Lazar found him and Galaxia in earlier. _"Ahh, what a wonderful sound that is. It's the sound of power, of complete and total annihilation! Hmhmhmhm, no one will see it coming, and, no one will ever know where it came from."_ Primo thinks to himself. He then looks down at Skylara, standing over her. _"I suppose there's no point in keeping you attached to this machine anymore. So, I'll release you myself."_ Primo thinks to himself. He places one of his hands on the orb of the machine and deactivates the orbs power, thus releasing Skylara from it.

Skylara collapses to the ground, out of weakness. Primo continues to look down at Skylara and suddenly kneels down to one knee and lifts her up, cradling her within his arms. Primo then stands up and carries Skylara over to where it's a little bit safer and then places her down, gently. Primo leans down a little bit closer and places a curled up hand against the side of Skylara's head. _"Such resemblance to Lady Galaxia, the only reason why I can't bring myself to harm you. I will let you live, for now. Until Lady Galaxia instructs me otherwise, your life has been spared for the time being. We need you alive, since we can't exactly take the Crimson Dragon's power from you."_ Primo thinks to himself. He takes his hand away and then walks away from Skylara.

The screens show Yusei's continuing duel with the robot. _"Sorry, Yusei. But for you, I'm afraid that's not very good news at all."_ Primo thinks to himself, mockingly. He looks at another screen, on which Jack and Crow are running down the hallway. _"Nor is it for your friends. You see, I simply can't leave this factory standing."_ Primo thinks to himself. He places one of his hands over the control panel. _"All evidence must be destroyed."_ Primo thinks to himself. On the central screen, a countdown clock appears, 10:00:00. "Attention." The computer says. The announcement sounds throughout the factory. "This factory will self-destruct in ten minutes. Advise…" Says the computer.

Yusei looks up, listening. "Huh?" Yusei asks. "…that all persons vacate these premises…" Says the computer. "Ahh!"

Bruno raises his head, blearily, then pushes himself up to sit on the floor and looks around. "…immediately. Repeat. This factory will self-destruct in ten minutes. Advise that all persons vacate these premises…" The computer says. "Where's Yusei?" Asks Bruno. "…Immediately. Attention…" The computer says.

The recorded warning continues to repeat in the background. "This factory will self-destruct in ten minutes. Advise that…" Says the computer. _"There! It's done! Good riddance, pests! Enjoy your last moments!"_ Primo thinks to himself. "…all persons vacate…" The computer says. Primo draws Galaxia's sword, that she left for him, and slashes a shining gash into the air in front of himself. _"Now, then. I really must be going!"_ Primo thinks to himself. "…these premises immediately. Repeat…" Says the computer. The gash widens to a circular portal and Primo walks through it. It seals itself behind Primo and he has vanished.

"This factory will self-destruct in ten minutes." The computer says.

"This place is gonna blow in ten minutes?!" Asks Yusei.

Lazar cries out a huge, theatrical gasp.

A digital countdown clock has appeared over the robot's side of the field, it now reads 09:50 and counting.

"Actually not even! The clock's already ticking!" Lazar says. He is now twitching, neurotically. "And we're locked up in this little room!" Says Lazar.

That familiar, determined look in Yusei's eyes tells that he is going to get them through this, no matter how slim the odds.

Bruno wanders around the dark, empty passageway, lost. The robots are gone by now. _"Yusei? Where could he be? Where are Skylara, Jack and Crow?"_ Bruno thinks to himself, groggily.

Jack and Crow are still running down the hallway. "This is the longest hallway ever!" Jack says. "Hey, I see a room up ahead!" Says Crow. They reach the doorway.

"Look, it's Bruno!" Crow says.

Bruno turns around, as he runs up to him. "Crow!" Says Bruno. "Are you okay?" Crow asks. Bruno rubs the back of his head. "I think so. Someone knocked me on the head pretty good, I'm not sure who." Says Bruno. "Where are Yusei and Skylara?" Crow asks. "I dunno, Yusei and I got split up. And I thought Skylara was with you guys." Says Bruno. "Nuts! We gotta find 'em!" Crow says.

Jack, who by now has joined them, looks up at the ceiling. Jack sees the control booth. "Then I say we head up there. Looks like some kind of control room. Maybe, there's a layout of this place that'll help us find Yusei and Skylara." Says Jack. "Okay, let's go." Crow says.

They soon reach the booth and Jack leans over Primo's strange controls. "This is no control panel." Says Jack.

"It is a countdown timer..." Skylara says, weakly.

"Skylara!" Says both Jack and Crow, concerned. They both run over to Skylara, either one at her side.

The timer still shows on the main screen. "Yeah, she's right! And there's not much time left!" Bruno says. He tries to work the controls, frantically, seated at the console. "This self-destruct mechanism is set to go off in minutes!" Says Bruno.

Since Skylara's not completely conscious yet, both Crow and Jack are trying to get her to come to, but she's not responding to either of them. "Can you stop it?!" Crow asks. "Or buy us some time?" Asks Jack.

"I'm trying, I'm trying! Only, the keyboard's not responding!" Bruno says.

Suddenly, holoscreens with live footage of the duel pop up around them. "Ah!" Says Bruno. "Huh?" Both Jack and Crow ask. "It's Yusei! And it looks like he's dueling, a giant robot?" Asks Crow. "Looks like Lazar's there with 'im, too." Jack says. Crow notices a microphone sticking up from the desk and speaks into it. "Yusei! Can you hear me?" Asks Crow.

Yusei glances upward and spots a surveillance camera, he looks directly into it. "I think 'e can." Jack says, via-microphone. "Yusei, are you okay?" Asks Bruno, via-microphone. "Jack? Crow? Bruno?" Yusei asks. "Yeah, it's us. What're you doing dueling? Don't you know this whole place…" Says Jack, via-microphone.

"…Is about to blow, we've got to find a way out of here!" Jack says. "Well, we…" Says Yusei, via-camera.

"Of course we know! But, we're stuck here!" Lazar says. He glances at the countdown clock, 08:21 and counting. "Well, get un-stuck! You don't have much time left!" Says Crow, via-microphone. "No, you don't understand, Crow. This room is on lockdown, unless I win this duel." Yusei says.

"It's on what?!" Asks Crow. "Lockdown?!" Bruno asks. "Well, just beat that bucket of bolts already!" Says Jack.

"That's easier said than done! This bot's made it so Yusei can barely even make a move!" Lazar says.

The countdown timer in the control booth shows 08:05:08 and counting. "So, time is not on our side." Says Lazar, via-camera. "Forget about me, you guys just go!" Yusei says, via-camera. "What?!" Asks Jack. "No way. We're not leaving you behind!" Crow says. Yusei smiles a bit. "Just trust me. I'm gonna be okay." Says Yusei, via-screen. "Aa-a-ahh...!" Crow screams. Jack's face is a mask of intensity.

"You'll be okay, what about me?! I'm here, too! Please, my friends…" Lazar says.

"…Come rescue me!" Says Lazar, via-camera. He keeps pleading in the background, no one is listening and it's too indistinct to transcribe. "I know what I'm doing, now just go." Yusei says, via-camera. "But, Yusei." Says Bruno, uneasily. "Come on! We go way back, we're old pa-als!" Lazar says, via-camera. Jack makes a heavy sigh. "Fine, then." Says Jack. He turns away and goes back over to Skylara, kneeling down to one knee over her. Jack then lifts Skylara up, carefully, holding her close to his chest. Jack shakes Skylara, very slightly. "Skylara, please wake up." Jack says. Skylara lets out a small whimper and awakens shortly afterward.

"Oh good, you've finally come to. You alright, love?" Asks Jack. "Jack…" Skylara says, weakly. "You're all shaken up. Are you hurt at all?" Asks Jack. "My knee feels like its been bashed in quite a bit, other than that I think I'm alright." Skylara says. Jack then places one of his hands on her knee, putting some pressure on it, she winces at it slightly. "It feels like it might be dislocated. Do you think you'll be able to walk?" Asks Jack. "I'm not sure." Skylara says. "Well here, let me help you." Says Jack. He gets up and helps Skylara stand up, holding onto her. The slightest pressure trying to walk on that leg, makes Skylara react to it. "I'm guessing that's a no?" Jack asks. "Yes, Jack. That is a no." Says Skylara. "Crow, Bruno, let's go. We're leaving." Jack says.

"No way, I'm staying here! If you wanna go, fine." Says Bruno.

Jack places Skylara on the railing and then turns.

In a flash of pain, Bruno finds himself slammed against the base of the console. "Rrgh! That hurt!" Bruno says. He looks up at Jack. "What's your problem?!" Asks Bruno. Jack's fist is still raised and he's shaking with emotion. "You think this is easy for me?! That happens to be my friend in there!" Jack says. "So, why leave?" Asks Bruno. "'Cause, Bruno. We have to believe in Yusei." Crow says, sadly. He starts walking away from the console.

"Huh? Believe? Okay." Says Bruno. Jack glares down at him. Bruno meets Jack's gaze, desperately, then looks down, defeated. "If you say so." Bruno says. "Believe? Well I don't!" Says Lazar, via-camera. Bruno stands up to follow Crow and Jack.

Jack is now carrying Skylara on his back. "Yusei, we'll see ya outside." Crow says. Lazar starts waving, frantically. "Yeah, now just get going already." Says Yusei, via-camera. "Yusei, you'd better know what you're doing." Jack says. He turns to leave.

"Good luck, now hurry up and win." Says Bruno. "Right, that's the plan!" Yusei says, via-camera. "Not fair! I have money, I'll pay you!" Says Lazar, via-screen.

"No-o-o, please don't go!" Lazar says. He sighs. "That's it. We're goners. Right?" Asks Lazar.

"Wrong. I said I know what I'm doing." Yusei says.

"Huh?" Asks Lazar.

"And I do." Yusei says. _"The question is, can I do it fast enough."_ Yusei thinks to himself.

Bruno follows Jack and Crow down the hallway, all three running. "Don't worry, Bruno. If there is anyone who can get out of a jam like this, it is Yusei." Says Skylara. "Right! He wouldn't've told us to leave, unless he had something planned." Crow says. "That's right, mate. And if we didn't leave, it would mean that we didn't believe he could do what he said he could." Says Jack. "And our friendship, as well as the relationship we all share, is all about believing in each other. Because when you believe you can do anything." Skylara says.

"It's my turn!" Says Yusei. He draws.

"I think, I get it now. By us leaving, Yusei can focus on winning!" Bruno says. They run towards daylight.

"I summon Drill Synchron!" Says Yusei.

"At this moment, the effect of 'Summon Pass' activates. Because you've summoned a level-four or below monster, I draw one card and you have to guess the type of card it is. If the card type I drew is different from your guess, Drill Synchron is destroyed. Here is my draw." The robot says.

"Then I suppose here's my guess." Says Yusei.

Long pause, the robot waits, its eyes full of scanning data.

Lazar grips the railing, tensely.

"I guess trap card!" Yusei says.

The card on the robot's chest flips, it's a trap. "Correct." Says the robot.

"All right! Finally, luck is on our side!" Lazar says.

"You're wrong, Lazar. It has nothing to do with luck. This guard bot's deck is based on using counter traps. Crunch the numbers and the odds clearly favor a trap card type." Says Yusei.

"All right, finally probability is on our side!" Lazar says.

"Next up, a spell. Go, 'Blind Spot Strike'! Now, until the end phase of this turn, the attack points of a monster on my field increase by the defense points of a monster in defense mode on your field." Says Yusei.

"Yes! Now, you can power up that Drill Synchron and take it to that metal menace!" Lazar says.

"Incorrect. I activate the trap 'Magic Jammer'." Says the robot.

"What?!" Lazar asks.

"Now, by discarding one card in my hand, I can negate and destroy your spell card." Says the robot.

"Ugh!" Yusei says.

"Additionally due to the activation of the counter trap 'Magic Jammer', 'Counter Force's' effect activates and gives me an additional counter." Says the robot.

"That makes three counters! Now things are really hopeless, we're goners for sure!" Lazar says. He slumps to his knees on the floor, despairing. "Waah! At least my name will be carried on by my family." Says Lazar. He pulls a photograph out of his jacket and looks at it. It's a portrait of a family of three. Lazar stands beside a seated woman, who wears a light pink suit, and behind their son, who wears a blue blazer, just like Lazar's red one, which is still a bit too long for him. All three of them share Lazar's strange hair and eye makeup, his wife's hair is dark magenta and their son's hair is sleek black. Lazar is bawling, his eyes pouring tears. "My name, and my hair! Ohh, I remember when we all got our first perms!" Lazar says.

"It is my turn. I activate the spell 'Messenger of Peace' from my hand. Now either player can attack with monsters that have fifteen hundred or more attack points." Says the robot.

"Oh, no, another restriction? So much for powering up my low-level monsters to wage an attack. Now I'm not even allowed to do that!" Yusei says.

"Yusei Fudo, the probability of you losing during my next turn is, ninety percent." Says the robot.

"My draw!" Yusei says.

"Ahh! Yusei, don't forget the clock is ticking!" Says Lazar.

 _"How could I forget? With each passing second, we're that much closer to certain doom! If we're going to get out of this room and out of this factory in one piece, it all comes down to this draw!"_ Yusei thinks to himself. He turns over his card, the spell 'Double Cyclone'. ' _Double Cyclone_ _'_ _. With this, I can destroy cards in the spell and trap card zones on both sides of our fields. Which means by playing it, I would be able to destroy that bot's_ _'_ _Counter Force_ _'_ _along with its three counters. It's the only move I have to make, so here goes."_ Yusei thinks to himself. "I play a spell! Go, 'Double Cyclone'! Now, your trap 'Counter Force' will face the fierce forces of nature! And after this storm, there won't be anything left!" Yusei says.

"I activate a counter trap, 'Solemn Judgment'." Says the robot.

 _"Huh?_ _'_ _Solemn Judgement_ _',_ _but that means!"_ Yusei thinks to himself.

"With 'Solemn Judgment', by paying half of my lifepoints, I can negate the summoning of a monster, the use of a trap, or in this case, the activation of a spell." The robot says. 'Solemn Judgment' zaps 'Double Cyclone' off the board. The robot's lifepoints are now 1750.

"No-o-o-o-o! It's over! And I'm so young!" Says Lazar, crying.

"Now the effect of 'Counter Force' activates. Which means I receive an additional counter." The robot says.

"Which means next turn that bot is going to win this duel! Nice knowing you, world, see ya later!" Says Lazar. A little Lazar ghost floats out of the top of his head.

"The probability of Yusei Fudo losing this duel is, one hundred percent." The robot says.

Long pause.

Yusei stands silent for a moment and then smiles a bit. "You might wanna check your math." Says Yusei.

"What?" The robot asks.

"Ahh!" Says Lazar. The little ghost floats back into him, maybe he's not doomed. "What?" Lazar asks.

"Playing that 'Double Cyclone' was the only move I had, 'cause it was the only way to get you to throw that counter trap!" Says Yusei.

"Whaat?" The robot asks.

"And, it was just the trap I'd hoped for! Ya see, I knew you were planning to defeat me with 'Counter Force' next turn! So, I knew you'd do whatever you had to, to protect it, including using a card like 'Solemn Judgment'! You calculated that paying half your lifepoints wouldn't matter, 'cause I wouldn't be around to take advantage of it, but you calculated wrong!" Says Yusei.

"Failure to compute." The robot says.

"Well, see if you can compute this! Go, Level Eater! You're released, so that I can summon Earthquake Giant!" Says Yusei.

When the monster card Earthquake Giant switches battle modes, a monster on your opponent's field must switch battle modes too.

"Yusei Fudo, due to the effect of 'Level Limit-Area B', all level-four-and-above monsters must switch to defense mode." The robot says.

Earthquake Giant switches to defense mode. "Fine, 'cause that activates Earthquake Giant's special ability. So get ready, 'cause your Lock Dragon's about to get shaken into attack mode!" Says Yusei.

Earthquake Giant crashes the giant boulder on its shoulders to the ground, which sends a shock wave over to Lock Dragon and wakes it into attack mode, in which it has 0 attack points.

"Ah, that dragon's not nearly as tough when he's not in defense mode!" Lazar says.

"Finally, the time is right to play the face down I've been saving! I activate the trap card, 'Panic Wave'! With it, by destroying one card on my field, I can negate the effects of all face up cards for the entire turn!" Says Yusei. His other face down, never revealed, is destroyed.

The robot's array of restrictive spells and traps turns gray, powerless.

"Now, level-three Drill Synchron, tune with level-five Junk Warrior! Behold, as the cosmos creates a monster of galactic might! Behold as I synchro-summon, the Stardust Dragon!" Yusei says.

"Ahh! His ultimate beast! I always knew you could do it, Yusei!" Says Lazar.

The robot shakes, circuits overloaded. "In this scenario, since Yusei Fudo summoned Stardust Dragon, the probability of him winning is, one hundred percent." The robot says.

"Attack with all your might!" Says Yusei.

Stardust Dragon destroys Lock Dragon and the robot's lifepoints drop straight to zero.

"Mm... Yusei Fudo wins... rrr... lockdown is reverrr... ssed." The robot says. It has shut down and folded up.

The doors open. "Attention. This factory will self-destruct…" Says the computer. "Let's go!" Yusei says. "…in ten seconds." Says the computer.

"You said it, ru-u-u-u-un!" Lazar says. He jumps down from the railed walkway and follows Yusei. "Ten. Nine." Says the computer.

The control booth is empty except for the counting timer. "Eight. Seven." The computer says.

Yusei and Lazar run down a hallway. Lazar is actually managing to keep up with Yusei, though not without effort. "Six. Five." Says the computer. "There, up ahead! I see the exit, and this is gonna be clo-o-o-ose!" Lazar says. "Four. Three. Two." Says the computer. Yusei and Lazar keep running. "One." The computer says.

The control booth's countdown clock hits zero. "Zero." Says the computer. A destructive glow overtakes the control panel and the entire booth explodes. More explosions blossom from the floor below.

Fiery debris is raining from the ceiling in the halls of the factory.

Jack, Crow and Bruno are still running, reaching a fairly safe distance from the flaming factory. Nevertheless, when the whole building blows, the explosion knocks them over. "Aahh!" Bruno and Crow scream. "Skylara… your choking me… can't breathe…" Jack says. "Sorry, Jack." Says Skylara. The three lie on the ground face down, hands over their heads, waiting out the blast. A few flying embers strike the ground beside them. Crow raises his head and looks over his shoulder back at the flames. "Yusei!" Crow says. Bruno stands up, anxiously, and Jack sits up, with Skylara kneeling on one knee beside him. "Where is he?" Asks Bruno. "It can't be!" Jack says.

The ruined factory is billowing thick dark smoke and wisps of flame into the bright blue sky.

The three of them stand up and look up at it, speechless. Then Crow gasps. Crow sees something float out of the smoke, two figures, clinging to a bright, yellow balloon, with a Lazar-eyed smiley face on it. "Look, up there!" Says Crow.

Lazar has saved them with one of his uncanny sleeve-balloons and is hanging onto Yusei's hand.

"Yusei!" Bruno says. "Now, that's blowing up!" Says Jack. "You were right to believe in Yusei, Skylara." Bruno says. "Yes, I know." Says Skylara.

"Always keep a spare balloon, that's what I say!" Lazar says, addressing Yusei. "Lazar, you are truly one-in-a-million!" Says Yusei. "And it was a million-to-one shot that we were going to beat that bot at his own game. Thanks for saving the day! And though I'd love to stay and chat, I really must be leaving!" Lazar says. They've now left the flaming factory behind. Lazar lets go of Yusei's hand, dropping him off to land on a grassy hillside nearby.

"Wait, what did you do with our program?!" Asks Yusei.

"Program? What're you talking about?" Lazar asks, innocently.

"Rrrgh!" Yusei growls under his breath.

"Trust me, Yusei! It's far better that you don't know! You simply have no idea who and what you're up against! My advice is to just let it go and forget this ever happened!" Says Lazar.

Yusei watches him float away toward the city. "Seriously, I'm not full of hot air here! Get it? Hot air? Like a balloon? Ahahahahaha!" Lazar asks.

 _"Let it go and forget this ever happened? I don't think so!"_ Yusei thinks to himself.

"Yusei!" Says Skylara.

Yusei turns and looks back down the hill.

Skylara and Yusei hug each other.

Bruno, Jack and Crow are running up to meet them.

Yusei smiles and continues to hug his half-twin sister, closely. _"I may not know who I'm up against, but I know who I stand with and we're not backing down."_ Yusei thinks to himself.


	19. Chapter 19

_Chapter 19: Will The Real Jack Atlas Please Stand Up: Part 1_

Late night at Skylara and the guys' place.

Banging on the door can be heard. "Open up in there!"

Bruno, sleepy and without his jacket, is answering the door. "This better be important." Bruno says. He yawns. "I was having the best dream!" Says Bruno. He unlatches a lock at the top of the door, going for the handle, and then gets knocked over, as several fully-uniformed Security guys burst through the door.

One stops and stands over Bruno, who is now lying on his back being stepped over. "Sector Security! We have authorization to search these premises!" Bruno sits up. "Any interference will be considered a crime!" The Security officer is showing him a piece of paper. "What're you looking for?" Bruno asks.

Crow, Yusei and Skylara are wandering down from upstairs. Crow's got quite a bedhead and is wearing a baggy, yellow T-shirt. Skylara's wearing her black, long-sleeved, short-skirted yukata, with white edging, over her purple undershirt. The black obi is wrapped around her waist and tied, with a black and white string, and she's also wearing her black tights, that gradate to purple at her ankles.

"Bathroom clear."

"What's up?" Asks Yusei.

"Checking upstairs!" Five Security guys troop up the stairs past Crow, Yusei and Skylara all business.

"Huh?! Uh, what's goin' on?" Crow asks. Yusei and Skylara exchange glances with each other, they're just as confused as he is.

A Security officer opens a door. "He's in here, boys!"

Jack, awake already because of the noise, but still lying in bed, glances over at the door.

"Jack Atlas, we've got a warrant here for your arrest. You need to come down to headquarters with us!"

Jack sits up. "What for?!" Asks Jack, confused.

"Cuff 'im, Biggs!"

Another Security officer snaps a handcuff around Jack's wrist. "What's the meaning of this?!" Jack asks.

Another officer picks up a deck of cards on the table or shelf. "Confiscating his deck, Sir."

Jack is led out to a waiting Security vehicle, his duel blazer around his shoulders. "This is an outrage! I know my rights! I haven't done anything!" Says Jack. "Get in the car!"

Crow, Yusei, Skylara and Bruno run outside, as Jack is put into the back of a Security car. "What's going on?! What did he do?!" Yusei asks. The car drives away without a word more, followed by a Security-logoed truck with a flatbed on which Jack's runner is tied up. This is clearly a serious operation.

They watch all the Security drive away. "This isn't good." Says Skylara.

Morning, at the Security headquarters building. Jack is sitting in a cell, hands clasped together, tensely.

Yusei, Skylara, who's holding Chibi Chibi in her arms, Crow and Bruno are speaking with Minako and Trudge, who are standing on either side of a TV screen. "This is footage captured by a security camera positioned on the Gleitmann Highway." Minako says. She clicks on the screen, the other three guys and Skylara watch, silently, and then gasp.

The two runners are Jack's distinctive circular model and another, smaller and more garden-variety runner.

"That's Jack's duel runner!" Says Crow.

Jack's runner crashes sideways into the other one, then hits it again and again, and the smaller runner skids off the road. Then, a very familiar monster appears.

"Red Dragon Archfiend?!" Yusei asks.

Next, they see Jack's runner land on top of another runner, then scrape along the side of the track to spark up a cloud of dust and smoke in its wake.

"He's participating in a turbo-duel and he's clearly trying to make his opponent crash! And that's not the only time. We've caught three other instances on tape in the past week!" Says Trudge. Crow looks down. "Well, the timing works." Crow says. "Whadda you mean, the timing? Whadda you guys know?!" Asks Trudge. "Umm." Yusei, Skylara, Crow and Bruno all say. "It's just that, about a little more than a week ago." Says Bruno.

Flashback. Daytime, at the Kaibadome. "We were testing out some new engines and training for the W-R-G-P." Yusei says, in voice-over.

In the stadium, Bruno is standing at a control panel somewhere, Chibi Chibi is sitting on a panel, with special earmuffs on to block most of the noise out.

Yusei, Skylara, Jack and Crow are riding on the track.

"My level-three Dark Resonator tunes my level-five Big Piece Golem!" Says Jack. His monsters begin the synchro-summon. "We were focusing on tag-duels and team tactics, trying to learn how to play off of one another and build on each others moves." Skylara says, in voice-over. "And now, Red Dragon Archfiend attacks you directly! Go, Absolute Powerforce!" Says Jack.

The holographic opponent dissolves and evaporates under his attack.

Jack brakes and so do Yusei, Skylara and Crow.

Bruno joins them, now holding Chibi Chibi in his arms. "Mama." Chibi Chibi says, happily. She reaches for Skylara, who takes her from Bruno.

Jack pulls off his helmet. "Hmph! I really amaze me." Says Jack, satisfied.

"What's the matter with you?! Why did you suddenly go rogue like that?" Crow asks. "What do you mean?" Asks Jack. "You know what I mean, Jack. Here, lemme see your hand. I just knew it! You drew Trust Guardian, it was ready to go! When I play my Blackwing, you bust out Trust Guardian! How many times do I hafta tell ya that?!" Crow asks. "How many times do I have to tell you, I am not using some cowardly tuner as synchro material!" Says Jack.

"C'mon, Jack? Why are you being so stubborn?" Bruno asks. "Trust Guardian's power can save a synchro monster from being destroyed in battle. How is that cowardly, Jack?" Asks Yusei. "Red Dragon Archfiend is strong enough to fight alone! I'm not hiding it behind some tuner, that's just not my style!" Jack says. Crow gets in his face. "Are you serious?! This isn't about your stupid style, it's about working together with your teammates!" Says Crow. "Rubbish! I'll do what I want and you'll like it, 'cause you're lucky to have me!" Jack says. He points, accusingly. "You don't stand a chance without me, you need Jack Atlas!" "Oh, yeah? Well, it's not like you could do it alone, you need us, too." Says Crow. "I need you?! Who exactly d'you think you're talking to, mate?" Jack asks.

"Jack, come on. We have to start thinking like a team. It isn't about our individual styles anymore, we either work together or we lose the W-R-G-P, it is that simple." Says Skylara. "Chibi." Chibi Chibi says, cutely. "Maybe it's that simple for you, but I'm not having it!" Says Jack. "So, you're leaving." Yusei says. "Huh?! What're you gonna do without us?!" Asks Crow. "I'll do whatever I wanna do, just the same as I've always done!" Jack says. He rides away. "No, Jack! Hey!" Says Skylara. "Dada." Chibi Chibi says.

Jack's already gone.

Crow shrugs. "He hissy-fits all the time, Skylara. He'll come to his senses." Says Crow. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Crow is now leaning over the windowed gallery on the other side of the room from the TV set.

Skylara, Yusei, Bruno, Trudge and Minako are standing and watching. "What's gotten into you, man?! We have a fight and you take it out on innocent randoms?!" Crow asks.

Jack remains dignified and angry, his back is turned to him. "It wasn't me, I'm innocent!" Says Jack.

"You don't seem innocent! That was your duel runner slamming into that poor sap, and that was Red Dragon Archfiend tearing through the sky! How could that have possibly been someone else?!" Crow asks.

"All I know is that I didn't do what I didn't do!" Says Jack.

"Huh. Ri-i-ight. I think I know what's goin' on here. Since you're a pathetic has-been jerk who can't do anything by himself, you're trying to ruin our team's name!" Crow says.

Yusei, Skylara and Bruno look upset, that's going a bit far. Yusei and Skylara then exchange looks, they got to put a stop to this. Skylara turns to Bruno. "Here, Bruno. Take her." Says Skylara. She hands Chibi Chibi over to Bruno, who takes her and holds her in his arms.

"You're tryin' to drag us all with ya to loser town!" Crow says.

Jack turns. "Why, you! Why don't you get down here, Crow! And say everything that you just said to my face!" Says Jack, incensed.

Crow laughs. "I would, but, you're in a cell, and…" Crow says.

Yusei grabs him by the shoulder, while Skylara places one of her hands on his other shoulder. "Crow!" Says Yusei. "…I don't hang out in cells…" Crow says. He shakes Yusei and Skylara off, pushing them away. "…That's where selfish ex-champions with attitude problems…" Says Crow. Yusei grabs him around the waist and drags him away from the window, while Skylara pushes against his chest and pushes him the same way he's going, away from the window. "…whose best days are way behind them hang out!" Crow says. "Stop it!" Says Skylara.

"At least I've been a champion! You're a nothing! You always will be!" Jack says.

Two Security guys grab him and drag him away. "All right, you, it's quiet time now, let's go!"

"So long, Jack! Nice knowin' ya!" Says Crow, nastily. "Come on!" Yusei says.

"I wish I could say the same!" Says Jack.

"Have fun not havin' any friends!" Crow says.

Trudge, Minako and Bruno look very worried. A smack to the side of the head can be heard. "Owee! Skylara, what was that for?!" Asks Crow. "For being an idiot." Skylara says.

A commercial for the WRGP. It's all flashy graphics, the by-now-familiar logo, "The World Racing Grand Prix is coming soon! Get your tickets now or get left in the dust! World Racing Grand Prix! The future of turbo-dueling is now!"

Switch next to a news report. Angela Reins stands outside the front door of Security headquarters among other reporters. "This just in." Says Angela. She continues to report, as a big screen at the New Domino Mall on which the broadcast is showing.

Another screen shows the WRGP logo.

And another shows Misty Tredwell modeling.

"Former turbo-dueling champion Jack Atlas has been arrested by Sector Security on charges of assault. He's accused of violently engaging with several duelists over the last two weeks." Angela says.

A newspaper somewhere shows a picture of Jack, wrists handcuffed, looking angry and quarrelsome, with two Security guys close to hand. "According to a statement from Sector Security, Atlas is denying these charges." Says Angela.

Another newspaper shows Jack waving to a Kaibadome crowd when he was champion. "We'll have more details…" Angela says.

The same broadcast is being watched on a little hand-held phone. "…when they emerge. This is Angela Reins reporting." Three teenage girls, in red Duel Academy blazers, sigh, the center one is still holding her phone. "Guess we have to find a new crush, girls." "So many posters to tear up and so little time!" All three sigh, gustily. "Huh? Doesn't she know him?" "Hmm?"

They all peer over at Akiza, standing by herself, looking lonely and shut out.

In another part of Duel Academy, a group of younger students, that includes Dexter and the blonde girl, is gathered around Sly, who's leaning against a desk, mouthing off. "How is this surprising? The guy's nothing but a cocky washed-up jerk and let's face it, all washed-up jerks eventually crack." Says Sly, smugly. "He says he's innocent!" Dexter says. "Hmph." Says Sly.

Leo grabs him by the front of his shirt and pulls him up nose-to-nose. "Hmm?! Lemme go!" Sly says. "You don't know what you're talking about! If Jack says he didn't do it, then he didn't do it!" Says Leo. "Right. You would take his side, Leo." Sly says, bored. Leo tackles him to the ground, hands around his neck. "Ugh! What's that supposed to mean?! You don't know anything about anything!" Says Leo.

Luna runs to them and holds his shoulders, consolingly. "Leo, stop it! Let 'im go!" Luna says.

"What is this drivel you just sent me, Carly?!" In an apartment somewhere in Domino, Carly's newspaper boss Mr. Pitts is on the phone, in holographic form, waving a sheet of paper, angrily. "I told you to whip up something scandalous!" Carly isn't cowering like she used to and tries to reason with him. "Everyone who knows Jack insists that there's no way he's guilty. They say that he's nice, and loyal, and honorable, and…" Says Carly. "The public wants to read about dirt, not the sunshine! You dig me up some dirt real quick-like, or you're fired!" The hologram fizzes out. "I can't just make something up! Mmm!" Carly says, despairing.

Night at Skylara and the guys' place. The twins and Akiza are sitting on the couch. Chibi Chibi is sitting on Akiza's lap.

Crow is on a chair, backwards, holding a pack of ice to his head, Skylara is standing next to him, arms folded across her chest and her eyes closed, and Yusei and Bruno are standing around.

"So, you weren't able to learn anything else?" Asks Akiza.

"Not really." Yusei says. "That's your fault, Crow. You really shouldn't've gone off on him like you did!" Says Bruno. "Yeah, yeah. That was my bad, I know. I dunno what happened, I just lost my temper! But Skylara didn't have to go and hit me like she did!" Crow says. "Well, if you would've kept your mouth shut and listened to her and me." Says Yusei, backing up Skylara's actions. "Well, she packs quite a bit of strength in her arms." Crow says. "I'm standing right here, Crow?" Asks Skylara. "Yeah, I know!" Crow says. He gets up out of the chair and gets in Skylara's face. "What, you trying to back up your boyfriend?! Trying to prove that he's innocent?! 'Cause if that's the case, then why don't you go run to him?!" Asks Crow. Skylara's speechless. "What, finally run out of things to say?" Crow asks. Yusei steps between them. "That's enough, Crow." Says Yusei. "It is alright, Yusei. Crow's actually made a point. Perhaps, I am no better than the Jack of the past." Skylara says. She walks away down the stairs.

Yusei glares over at Crow. "Now you've done it." Says Yusei.

"So, d'you think he did what they're saying he did?!" Leo asks.

"It's looking pretty bad at this point. If there is a fake Jack out there. Well, he hasn't appeared since Jack's arrest and Jack doesn't have a single alibi for any of the incidents on video." Says Yusei. "So, unless some new evidence is brought forward, are they just gonna lock him up and that's that?" Bruno asks. "Mmm-hmm. And that's what's hurting Skylara at this point." Says Yusei.

"No way!" Leo says. "But, he didn't do it, right? There must be something we could do to prove that!" Says Akiza.

"Like what?" Yusei asks.

"Uh, I got it! There's clearly someone out there pretending to be Jack! So, we gotta get out there and find 'im an' then drag 'im to justice's door!" Says Leo. "How do we do that, detective? D'you have any clues or leads or anything?" Luna asks. Leo and Akiza sigh.

"Look, guys. I think it's best if we leave this up to Trudge for now." Says Yusei.

"Hey, is Skylara going to be okay through all of this, Yusei?" Leo asks.

"I hope so. She's never been this upset before, but she's strong. She'll get through this, somehow." Says Yusei.

"Is there anything we can do to help her?" Luna asks.

"I think this is something Skylara has to deal with on her own. All we can do is hope for the best." Says Bruno.

In the room the police charged into last night, apparently Skylara and Jack's room. Skylara's fallen asleep on the edge of the bed, she must have cried herself to sleep, since she has a tear trail going down one of her scars.

A dark figure approaches Skylara, looking rather familiar to Jack. He then sits down beside Skylara, leaning over her slightly.

Skylara opens her eyes, briefly. Skylara then sits herself up a bit. "Jack?" Skylara asks. "Yeah, it's me." Says Jack. "Wait, you are supposed to be in jail. Why are you here?" Skylara asks. "Relax, I had an early parole and I do live here don't I, love?" Asks Jack. Skylara places one of her hands on one of his. "Of course you do, but Trudge said unless new evidence was found that there was someone impersonating you, you wouldn't be released until then." Skylara says. "Trudge says many things, my love. Doesn't mean that they're always true." Says Jack. "That is not usually like him. Although, something seems very different about you. Something a little off, perhaps." Skylara says. "What's the matter? Don't you trust me of all people?" Asks Jack. "Of course I do. However, the fact that you are out of jail with no notification. I don't know if I entirely believe you." Skylara says. "What makes you say that?" Asks Jack. "One, if you were going to be set free, Trudge would have contacted me first, considering you and I are together. And secondly, you are acting very strangely and off. I'm getting mixed emotions whether to believe you or not." Skylara says. "So, you're afraid of me is that what you're saying?" Asks Jack. "No, that is not what I am saying at all. All I'm saying is that you are acting differently. You seem like a stranger to me right now." Skylara says. Jack gets off from the bed and walks over to the side of the room, facing the wall.

Skylara sits herself up. "Jack, what is the matter?" Says Skylara.

"The fact that my own girlfriend doesn't trust me." Jack says.

Skylara then gets off of the bed and walks over to him. "I trust you with my life, Jack. However, not when your lying to me." Says Skylara. Jack turns to face her and places his hands against her upper arms. "What reason would I have for lying to you, love? I am innocent, there's no need to prove that." Jack says. He then places a finger underneath Skylara's chin, lifting it up to face him. Jack tries to move in to kiss Skylara, but he suddenly gets forced back and nearly collides against the wall.

Jack's being electrocuted by something that he can't explain, he then falls to his knees, enduring it, but not yelling or screaming out in pain.

"Are you alright, Jack?" Asks Skylara.

Jack looks up at her, glaring at her as he endures the pain. "What did you do to me?" Jack asks.

"Me? Why, whatever do you mean, Jack?" Asks Skylara.

"You did something to me, now undo it. Right now." Jack says.

"I can't exactly undo something that I didn't do. Now confess, who are you?" Asks Skylara.

"What are you talking about? It's me, Jack. Jack Atlas."

"I don't think you are Jack Atlas." Skylara says.

"What makes you think that, love?" Asks Jack.

"Because, you never once addressed me by my name. You don't know my name, do you?" Skylara asks.

"Of course I do." Says Jack.

"Then say it, call me by my name right now." Skylara says.

Jack looks away from her.

"That's what I thought." Says Skylara.

Jack then looks back up at her, looking very spiteful against her. "You're a clever one, aren't ya, love?" Jack asks.

"You can stop calling me that now, the jig is up. You didn't actually think you could deceive me, did you?" Asks Skylara.

"How did you even manage to figure it out? I mean, you're his girl." Jack says.

"I believe you just answered your own question right there. Because I have known Jack for so long, I know how he is. You can't pull anything over my eyes, especially since I have a little help with seeing right through your lies." Says Skylara.

"But how?" Jack asks.

Skylara closes her eyes, briefly. When Skylara opens them again, they have shifted to red. "I have two sets of eyes, my own and the Crimson Dragon's. The very thing that lies dormant within me and protects me at any cost." Says Skylara. She closes her eyes again and they return to their normal emerald green hue. "That is another thing that proved to me that you are not who you say you are. I was getting warnings from the Crimson Dragon itself and if you were really Jack Atlas, you would have been able to withstand a direct blow from the Crimson Dragon and would be free to touch me without getting hit by the Crimson Dragon's power." Skylara says.

"You mean to tell me that this power is that dragon's doing?" Asks Jack.

"Indeed. It is very protective of the one it chose as its host and quite loyal to me, as well." Skylara says.

Jack then suddenly gets up, still being affected by the Crimson Dragon's power. "I may not be the Jack Atlas you claim as yours. But, there's one thing the real Jack Atlas can't save you from and that's getting what I seek from you." Says Jack.

"Hate to break it to you. However, as long as the Crimson Dragon's power is at work. You can't even come close to touching me." Skylara says. Her eyes revert back to red. "However, if you wish to try and retrieve whatever it is you seek from me. Then by all means, but you have been warned." Says Skylara. Her eyes start flaring in crimson red and the red gradation portion of her hair soon follows suit. The symbolic designs, additional markings, her Sign and the Seal of the Crimson Dragon all burn in crimson red, as well.

"My dear, you haven't the slightest clue of what you're getting yourself into. I would've rather done this the easy way it would've been less painful, but it seems you've chosen your fate and gone to doing this the hard way. Meaning, I won't be holding back on your account. You may be a woman, but you are no different from me." Jack says.

"What is it that you are trying to say? I am nothing like you, if that is what your getting at." Says Skylara, her voice has now become menacing and echoic.

"You're the one with two sets of eyes and you can't even see that. You are nothing but a vessel for the Crimson Dragon. Your living only because of that creature and once it's finished with what it must do here, it'll be the end for you." Jack says.

"If that is what destiny has in store for me then so be it. However, I don't need you to tell me what I am and what I'm not. There is a reason why I was reincarnated. If this is the case, then I'm alright with that." Says Skylara.

"Whatever, I surely won't be around to witness your death." Jack says. He then runs at Skylara and charges her into the wall, violently. Jack's getting electrocuted repeatedly by the Crimson Dragon's power. It's difficult for Jack to keep his hold on Skylara, but he's not backing down so easily. "What is it that you came here for?" Asks Skylara. "I came to obtain and figure out the limits of your powers. So, I needed your little lover boy out of the way." Jack says. "So, you are the one who impersonated Jack. Who created you and summoned you to do this?" Asks Skylara. "That's none of your concern. If I were you, I'd be more concerned about myself. 'Cause once I've finished with you, that Jack that you admire so much is next." Jack says. "You leave him out of this!" Says Skylara. "He's already involved in this, ever since the day he met you. Everyone that you hold dear and is a part of the Crimson Dragon has been involved and that's all because of the actions of that creature that resides within you." Jack says. "You know nothing. The Crimson Dragon knew what it was doing and chose wisely of who would be bestowed with its powers and might." Says Skylara. "Then why did it choose a woman as its host. That's simple, it's because everyone shows sympathy towards a woman." Jack says. "Oh please, it could have chosen anyone of us Signers. Why it is me, I do not know." Says Skylara. "I believe you wasted enough of my time, I've felt the capacity of your powers. Now, it's my turn to show you what I'm capable of. Hope this doesn't hurt ya to much." Jack says. Jack grabs a hold of Skylara where her dragon Sign resides and begins shocking her. Its not only affecting Skylara, but also the Crimson Dragon itself. "So, your goal wasn't just me. You are after the Crimson Dragon, as well." Says Skylara. "You just figured that out. So much for that double vision of yours." Jack says. He then places his free hand against Skylara's heart, hurting her severely.

Night, at the Security Headquarters building. Trudge walks along a hallway, clearly tense and harried.

Officer Kaz catches up to Trudge and grabs him by the shoulder. "Trudge, wait! Ya got the wrong guy! Listen to me!" Says Kaz. Trudge stops walking, but doesn't turn. Trudge looks exhausted. "You can't really believe that Jack would do that stuff?! After everything he did to help us out?" Kaz asks.

Flashback. Jack offers Kaz's card back to him, Chaos King Archfiend, and Kaz, still on a crutch and covered in bandages, accepts it. Jack smiles. "He risked his life to take down Syd's gang after interfering with the investigation. The kid's all honor and heart!" Says Kaz, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Trudge looks over his shoulder and meets Kaz's eyes. "I'm with you on this, Kaz. I wanna believe, but..." Trudge says. He looks away. "…you saw the video." Says Trudge.

Jack lies on a cot in a cell, staring up at the fluorescent light strips on the ceiling and the air duct covering.

Flashback. "How long are you gonna keep me locked up in here? Hasn't your investigation uncovered anything new, Minako?" Jack asks.

Minako has turned away, unable to look him in the eyes. "The evidence is stacked against you, Jack. There is no investigation anymore. The case is closed now." Says Minako.

"Are you kidding?!" Jack asks. The flashback ends.

Jack punches the wall with all of his might. _"Somewhere out there in the_ _C_ _ity someone is pretending to be me and I can't do anything about it from in here! I can't stand it!"_ Jack thinks to himself. He suddenly starts feeling some sort of pain in his chest, as if he can feel something. "What's with this pain in my chest all of a sudden?" Asks Jack.

Skylara is staggering trying to stay on her feet and keeping this imposter at bay, while this imposter Jack still has his hand against her heart, roughly. "Just give up already, will ya, and maybe it wouldn't be so bad." "Never." Skylara says, weakly. Her eyes suddenly go dim and return to their normal emerald green hue, she's beginning to lose consciousness. The crimson red glow in the gradated portion of her hair slowly starts to go out, similar to how fire dies down, returning the gradation portion of her to red. The additional markings and symbolic designs along Skylara's body are slowly dimming down, her Sign and the Seal of the Crimson Dragon are the last ones to go out. Skylara has now gone completely unconscious.

"I knew you couldn't stand it for very long." He then releases Skylara's chest and she falls into his waiting arm. "Now when Jack sees what happened to you, he's going to fall completely apart. Knowing and thinking he left you vulnerable and unprotected."

Jack's still feeling the pain in his chest, but it suddenly stops. Jack looks at his own fist, furious.

Jack doesn't see a small insect skitter across the small slit of window on his cell door. The bug continues and stops on the door's computerized lock. It's no bug, it's a little robot that looks like one. A light on its 'head' flashes red, then it explodes and takes the lock with it. The door beeps and swings open.

Jack peers out. "How did that happen?" Asks Jack. He hears an alarm and starts running.

When Trudge and Minako run to the cell, several officers are already searching the empty room. One of them salutes them. "We heard the alarm, what's going on?" Trudge asks. "Why is the door open? Where's Jack?" Asks Minako. Just then, her cell phone rings. "Huh? Yeah?" Minako asks. "It's Wedge, down in Lockup. Atlas just stole his duel runner and deck that we seized and escaped!" "He what? Are you serious?!" Asks Minako.

Jack tears down the dark highway beside the cars. Jack picks up the top card of his deck, Red Dragon Archfiend. _"What I can't figure out is Red Dragon Archfiend. How could somebody else have this? It doesn't make sense!_ _T_ _his is a rare, one-of-a-kind monster card!"_ Jack thinks to himself. He hears a runner engine behind him and glances back.

The runner behind Jack looks exactly like his own, except a darker version of his, and its rider looks just like him, only his clothes and helmet, like the runner, are darker in color.

"Huh! That's my duel runner! But!" Jack says.

The false Jack rides up next to him, laughing nastily, he also shares his accent, but his voice sounds slightly more high-pitched than Jack's, making him appear to snarl. His face is concealed by his helmet visor and remains so. "Hehahahahahahah! You finally made it! I was worried ya didn't have it in you!"

"What is this?! Who the deuce're you?!" Asks Jack.

"Everyone knows who I am, my name is Jack Atlas!"

"Very cute, why're you running around and pretending to be me?!" Jack asks.

"Don't be absurd, you're not Jack Atlas! Jack is a champion, a real duelist! You're just a wannabe has-been!"

"Is that so?!" Asks Jack.

"Jack Atlas wouldn't let four walls contain 'im! 'E wouldn't need outside assistance to escape, would 'e!"

"Huh? Are you saying it was you who destroyed the lock on that station door?!" Jack asks.

The fake Jack makes a slight nod. "Mm-hmm." With that, the impostor swings over and rams Jack sideways.

Jack braces as he goes into a barely-controlled tailspin backward and skids into the path of an oncoming car.

Driving it are the two wacky citizens, the young woman, with the huge brown afro and her friend the guy, with long black hair and a red t-shirt. They are freaked. "Whaaa!"

At the last minute, Jack regains control, revs up his engine and does a riding back-flip over the car. Jack lands behind it on the road, swerves a bit and keeps riding.

The two bystanders are stoked. She keeps driving and he leans out the passenger-side window with a camera. "Amazing! Jack Atlas just flipped over us!" "Get lotsa shots! I wanna post 'em as soon as I can!"

Jack, meanwhile, is again pulling even with the impersonator. "Are you nuts?! Not cool!" Says Jack.

"Hehahahah!" And the fake slams Jack sideways again.

"That does it!" Jack says. He rams back.

The two runners keep duking it out as they roar down the highway.

"That's the look I wanted to see! That's the spirit! Come at me like a starving beast on the hunt!"

"Whadda you want?!" Asks Jack.

"I wanna duel! You're not scared of dueling a great champion, are you? Plus, did I mention I have something you might want back." He concentrates.

Skylara then appears in his arms, still very much out cold.

"No, let her go. This has nothing to do with her." Jack says.

"Oh, doesn't she? I'd say she's one of the reasons holding you back."

"That's not true! Now, let her go!" Says Jack.

"If you want her back unharmed, then you'll have to duel me to get her back. Oh yeah, and there is one more thing I should mention. I sealed the creature that lies dormant within her. So, I'm afraid she won't be able to assist you."

"You did what?! How dare you?! The Crimson Dragon is a part of 'er, you can't just seal it off whenever you feel like it." Jack says.

"Oh please, that beast is the only thing keeping 'er alive and one of these days you'll lose her to that same creature. But, enough about her future, let's get back to discussing your fate. So, just to make this interesting. I'll just keep her with me through the duel, for safety reasons. You afraid now that your girl is now being secured in my arms."

"Think I'm scared of dueling some deranged fanboy? I'll beat you before you can say 'it's my move'! So, if you really wanna duel, you've got it!" Says Jack.

"There's a good chap! Now, let's find out who the real Jack Atlas is!"

"Activating 'Speed World Two'!" Both Jack's say. "Duel mode, engaged." Says the computer. A wave of light spreads out from the two runners, and then a glowing ring appears around each as they ride side-by-side, the two rings just barely touch in the middle, forming a figure-eight.

"What is this white light all about?" Jack asks.

"Formulating cross-town duel course, and awaiting Central Grid Authority's official authorization. Authorization has been granted. A turbo-duel is about to commence. Combat lane transfiguration underway. All non-dueling vehicles must vacate the combat lane immediately." Says the computer. The few cars behind shift over into lanes further left and the two identical runners race onward into the night, through a side-door entrance to a runner track.

"You are going down!" Jack says.

"Don't be so sure!"

Night, at the garage. Yusei is on the phone. "Wha'd you say?! Jack busted out?!" Asks Yusei.

On the couch, Luna's been curled up against the armrest, Leo's been snoozing with his head on Akiza's knee, and even she has been rubbing her eyes. Luna and Akiza startle awake, and Leo falls off of the couch.

"Look. If he comes to you guys, you have to let me know, Yusei. Because, I know the first person he'd ever go to is Skylara at this point." Trudge says, via-phone. "Yeah, I will." Says Yusei. He hangs up, solemnly.

"Wait, so Jack escaped?" Akiza asks. "Escaped, escaped?" Asks Luna.

"How could 'e do something so dumb?!" Crow asks.

"He's probably hoping to catch the real criminal!" Says Leo.

"If that's true, then where would he go?" Yusei asks. He and Crow think for a moment, then it hits both of them, simultaneously. "Huh? Ah!" Says Crow.

The matched pair of runners fly around the first curve of the dark track, racing through the New Domino night. "The Gleitmann Highway!" Both Yusei and Crow say, in voice-over.

Jack's pulling even with his double.

"I do hope you're hungry, 'cause I'm servin' humble pie!"

"Just draw already!" Says Jack.

"Nehehahaha! I summon Dark Resonator in defense mode!"

"Wait, but that's my monster!" Jack says.

"I place three cards face down and end my turn!"

 _"_ _So not only does he copy me, he copies my monsters, too! As well as my love interest! I have to get Skylara out of this safely or I_ _'_ _ll regret it for the rest of my life."_ Jack thinks to himself.

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and make a move, I need a good chuckle!"

"That does it! You can act like me all you want, but you can't duel like me! My turn, I draw!" Says Jack.

 _"Trust Guardian! If I use this right now, I can summon Red Dragon Archfiend, but this monster just isn't my style! I can't do it! This card goes against everything I stand for! I'd rather lose than use this!"_ Jack thinks to himself. He places it in his hand. "When all you've got are monsters on your field, I can summon Vice Dragon! Next, I'm summoning the Dread Dragon tuner monster! Now, my level-two Dread Dragon tunes my level-five Vice Dragon. As flattering as your little impersonation performance has been, I'm afraid I'm going to have to yank you from the stage! I synchro-summon, Exploder Dragonwing!" Jack says.

Exploder Dragonwing is a level-seven dragon-type monster, with twenty-four hundred attack points and sixteen-hundred defense points.

"Now, Exploder Dragonwing, take out Dark Resonator with King's Storm attack!" Says Jack.

"Dark Resonator's ability activates!"

"You don't need to tell me what it does! I'm fully aware that Dark Resonator can avoid being destroyed in battle, thank you very much!" Jack says.

"Hmm." Says Fake Jack, amused.

"Now, let me show you what the real Jack Atlas is capable of! When Exploder Dragonwing battles a monster with fewer attack points, that monster is destroyed! And this is a special ability doling out the damage, so I'm afraid Resonator can't protect itself! And now all of Resonator's thirteen-hundred attack points slam into you as direct damage!"

The fake Jack glows around the edges and his lifepoints evaporate down to 2700.

"I place one card face down and end my turn!" Jack says.

The other Jack is silent for a moment, then whispers, icily. "Pathetic!"

Jack does not like the sound of that.

"Is this a joke?! Are you trying to mock me with this paltry effort?! Nobody insults me!" The fake Jack spins around to ride backward. As his rage grows, at last Jack gets a glimpse of his eyes, glowing unnaturally through his opaque visor.

Jack is speechless.

"I busted you out because I thought you might actually challenge me! But, you're dueling like a second-rate clown hoping to get a laugh! You aren't worthy of dueling a champion, your very presence is an insult! And no one, no one insults the great Jack Atlas!"

Jack is completely floored, eyes wide. _"What's this weird feeling? Is this?"_ Jack thinks to himself. He looks down, as his hand trembles on its accelerator grip, slightly. _"Is this what it's like to be afraid of something? Why am I afraid?"_ Jack thinks to himself.

Yusei and Crow coast around a corner on their runners.

"Yusei, heads up! Check out the signs!" Says Crow.

The highway above them has its duel lane signs deployed.

"Someone's dueling up ahead." Yusei says.

"Well, d'you think its Jack?!" Asks Crow.

Yusei looks back over his shoulder at him and nods.

Yusei zooms ahead and Crow follows.

"Now, get ready, little clown! On this next move, I'm gonna prove to you that I'm the real Jack Atlas!"

"Hunh. And just how will you do that?" Jack asks.

"Just watch! First, I activate the 'Shock Wave' trap card!"

"What?!" Asks Jack, alarmed.

"Your sad little attempt to whittle away at my power helped me satisfy the requirements needed to activate this trap! When I have fewer lifepoints than you, I can send out 'Shock Wave' and destroy one monster on the field, and then we'll both take damage equal to its attack points!" He turns to ride backward. "Say goodbye to your Exploder Dragonwing!"

Jack groans and winces, as his lifepoints decrease to 1600.

Fake Jack barely seems to notice as his own points fall to 300.

"Why did that hurt? How is it possible that I felt that?" Jack asks.

"Hehehahahahaha! This is how a champ does things! This duel isn't just about our lifepoints, is it! No, no, little clown, this duel is about our lives!"

"Wha? You, why're you acting like you're winning? You just lost lifepoints, the same as I did!" Says Jack.

"Hmph. If I were to go at you full-force, you would be finished in an instant! But, I don't want to finish you just yet, I intend to play a little cat-and-mouse!"

"Rrgh!" Jack growls under his breath.

"I now summon Mad Archfiend!"

 _"Mad Archfiend has eighteen-hundred attack points. If it attacks successfully I'm finished. I can't let that happen."_ Jack thinks to himself. "I reveal the 'Powerful Rebirth' trap card! This trap enables me to summon a weaker monster from my graveyard and then equip the monster I summon with the power of this card! From my graveyard, I summon Dread Dragon in defense mode! And now, by equipping 'Powerful Rebirth', it gains one hundred defense points and one level!" Jack says. _"Even if I take piercing damage from Mad Archfiend's special ability, I'll have three hundred lifepoints remaining!"_ Jack thinks to himself.

"I reveal the 'Powerful Rebirth' trap card!"

"You what? That was your face down card, too?" Asks Jack.

"And I summon Dark Resonator from my graveyard!" Dark Resonator's attack points increase to 1400 and his level increases by one to 4. "Did you honestly think I would attack you with Mad Archfiend without powering it up? What a laugh! A champion doesn't bother trying to chip away, a champion goes full-force!" The impostor raises one finger to point toward the sky, triumphantly, exactly the way Jack once did, to the thunderous roar of a sold-out stadium, when he ruled New Domino's speed circuit. "Remember, I'm the Master of Faster! I rule the duel!"

Jack gasps, stunned at the familiarity.

"This champion is gonna take you to the next level! Mad Archfiend gets a tuning from Dark Resonator, which is also a level-four now!"

 _"A level-eight! It-it can't be!"_ Jack thinks to himself.

Mad Archfiend's golden outlines fly through Dark Resonator's green rings. One mighty armored claw emerges from the blinding light, then another. "I synchro-summon, Red Dragon Archfiend!" Smoldering embers fill the sky, and the dragon's scales and wings seem to glow an intense shade of violet, but with horns and body shape like that, it can be no other.

"This isn't possible! Red Dragon Archfiend is a one-of-a-kind monster and it's only in my deck!" Jack says.

The impostor's Archfiend towers over Jack and his defensive monster. "Go, Red Dragon Archfiend! Tear up that Dread Dragon!" The dragon's eyes blaze red fire and a huge meteor forms in one of its claws as it swings back its arm and slams the fireball forward, it barely touches Dread Dragon with one of its claws before Jack's only line of defense gives way. "With it gone, I reveal my trap 'Lineage of Destruction'!"

"No!" Says Jack.

"Since I destroyed a monster of yours in defense mode, 'Lineage of Destruction' can enable Red Dragon Archfiend to attack for a second time! And I'm afraid that this time around, Red Dragon Archfiend will be attacking you directly!" Flame is already forming around the dragon's muzzle. It rears back its head and breathes forth an inferno of dazzling destruction.

Jack barely has time to believe his eyes. "No way!" Jack says. And the blast hits, hard. Jack's cry of pain and fear can be heard, as his runner is propelled through the air backward. "Uu-uu-uuu-ggghh!" It bounces upright, but skewed, then a few times on its side, then skids on its side, completely and dangerously out-of-control. Jack opens his eyes to see the curved side of the track approaching, haphazardly illuminated by his careening headlights. "Ugh! Uu-waau-aau-aau-aaugh!"

Crash, and a glimpse of broken shards. Jack, still on his runner, just smashed through the edge of the runner track and is falling toward the dark, sparkling ocean below among broken shards, still in a state of shock, his lifepoints dropping to zero. _"How?! How could he have my cards?! And how could he have mastered Red Dragon Archfiend's tactics?! Who is he?!"_ Jack thinks to himself.

The doppelganger pulls over and stops beside the flaming wreckage of the side of the track Jack fell through and watches him fall. "When an engine burns out, you replace it with a better one, an upgrade! And you, my little clown, have definitely burned out! So I guess that makes me your upgrade!" As the false Jack says this last, Jack glimpses his eyes through that visor, the impostor's irises are bright red and he also has a small, jagged red tattoo underlining each eye.

"Huh?!" Asks Jack. Still on his runner and in a state of complete shock and horror, he is falling straight down toward the ocean, backfirst.

The splash propels water as high as the track and it rains down, extinguishing the fire.

As the flames die down, Yusei and Crow ride up on their runners. They see the purple-tinged Red Dragon Archfiend reigning over the scene of destruction and someone on a runner just like Jack's parked beside a smashed chunk out of the side of the track.

The rider pivots on his wheel and faces them, smiling, calculatingly, through his visor. He looks slightly menacing, but they can't see the same red tinge in the impostor's eyes that Jack glimpsed as he fell. The fake Jack is still holding onto Skylara, she's starting to come to.

"Huh?!" Crow asks. "Jack, what're you doing?" Asks Yusei. "Running only makes you look guilty! And harming her isn't going to solve anything either! It's just going to make you look worse!" Crow says.

The fake Jack looks down at Skylara one last time and lifts her up by the chest.

"No! Jack, don't!" Says Yusei.

Skylara finally comes to at the last minute. The fake Jack feels Skylara's hands against his own single hand holding her up. He glances up at Skylara, smirking at her. Skylara, on the other hand, can see the same red tinge in this imposter's eyes that Jack glimpsed as he fell. "You are not the real Jack." Skylara says, fiercely. She kicks him right in the face, her heel breaking part of his visor. "At least you know how to put up a fight, your boyfriend sure didn't. You just remember this, little chickadee. As long as I exist, that Crimson Dragon within you will remain sealed so deeply inside you, that it'll never be able to assist you again." Skylara glares down at him. He then with all his strength, throws Skylara and she lands, rolling a few times on the ground, she's then lying completely still, possibly in too much pain to move at all.

"Hmhmhmhm." The false Jack raises a hand and his Archfiend rears back with another gout of flame, unleashing it on Yusei and Crow.

Their shouting can be heard and when the blast clears, they look again and the track is silent.

"He's gone!" Says Crow. "Huh?" Yusei asks. He then gets off of his runner and runs over to Skylara.

Crow follows right behind Yusei.

Yusei kneels down in front of Skylara and places one of his hands on her ribs, gently.

Crow then kneels in back of Skylara and places one of his hands on her shoulder. "Skylara." Says Yusei. "I think she's done for the night, Yusei." Crow says. "Jack went too far this time." Says Yusei. "No… it wasn't Jack's fault… he is innocent…" Skylara says, pained. "Are you serious? He just threw ya and we just witnessed that." Says Crow. "That wasn't him…" Skylara says, pained. "What do you mean that wasn't him, Skylara?" Asks Yusei. "That wasn't Jack… and… do you honestly think that Jack would have it… in his heart… to do what he just did to me…?" Skylara asks, pained. "She does have a point there. Of all the years we've known him, he never once placed a harmful hand on her. That's not how Jack is towards Skylara." Says Yusei. "Oh come on, Yusei. You just saw what he did. She's experiencing pain right now, so she's just delusional right now, that's all. Once we get her some medical attention, she'll come to her senses." Crow says. "I don't know, Crow. She seems pretty determined that, that wasn't our Jack." Says Yusei. "Of course she's determined. She's being blinded by her love for Jack. Obviously, she's losing it." Crow says. "Crow, would you knock it off. You're just upsetting her more and she doesn't need that in the condition that she's in right now." Says Yusei. "I understand what you're getting at, Yusei. But, she's not listening to reason. Skylara, please just listen to me. I know how you feel about this whole situation, but you need to get over this nonsense of who's the real Jack and who isn't. You're not thinking straight right now and its affecting your health." Crow says. "I know what I saw, Crow..." Says Skylara, pained. "See, she's not listening to me." Crow says. "Hold on a minute, Crow. What do you mean, Skylara?" Asks Yusei. "There is a difference in his eyes…" Skylara says, pained. Yusei and Crow exchange glances with each other. "Oh... and guys…" Says Skylara, pained. They both look down at her. "Yes?" Yusei asks. "What is it this time?" Asks Crow. "I can't feel or hear the Crimson Dragon anymore… it has gone all quiet and still…" Skylara says, pained. Crow and Yusei exchange glances again, this is worse than they thought. "Well, this isn't good." Says Crow. "No, Crow. This is bad, very bad." Yusei says. Skylara's beginning to lose consciousness fast, with both the pain she's experiencing and the Crimson Dragon barely able to aid her right now.

"Skylara." Says Yusei, worriedly. "Come on, stay with us." Crow says, concerned. "Crow, go and call for help. I'll stay with her, now go and hurry." Says Yusei. "I'm on it." Crow says. He gets up and runs toward his runner.

"Please, hang in there. Now I know for sure this really isn't Jack's doing. If he could see you hurt and suffering like this right now, he'd be right by your side and staying with you. Not riding off like he did." Says Yusei.

The full moon sparkles down onto the dark, dark water as it breaks against the track's support pylons and the nearby cliff side. Caught in a crevice in the rocky shore below, rescued from the ocean's harsh waves, is a single card, Trust Guardian.


	20. Chapter 20

_Chapter 20: Will The Real Jack Atlas Please Stand Up: Part 2_

At New Domino Hospital. Yusei, Crow, Bruno, Akiza, the twins and Chibi Chibi are waiting out in the hallway, silently. Crow is walking back and forth in front of a hospital room door. Yusei is leaning against a wall and Bruno is sitting in a chair next to him. The twins, Akiza and Chibi Chibi are sitting on a bench. They all seem distressed, in their own ways. "I wish they'd just come out and tell us what's up already." Crow says. "I hope she's going to be alright." Says Luna. "Chibi." Chibi Chibi says. Akiza places one of her hands on Luna's shoulder, consolingly.

The door finally opens and a woman doctor and nurse exit the room, the nurse closing the door behind them. "Well, tell us the news, doc." Says Crow. "Will our friend pull through?" Leo asks. "Well, physically speaking she's in perfect health and she's mentally stable, as well. She mainly has external bruising against her chest, just above her heart, which should heal fairly quickly if no pressure is put against it. She has some internal bruising within the ribcage on both sides. The dislocation in her knee has returned slightly, but we repaired that as much as we could. The rest is up to her with that. She also has some trauma to the right temple of the head, which is the major thing that made her black out." "So, she'll be okay?" Asks Akiza. "Yes, she'll be able to go home as early as tomorrow morning. If she goes easy on herself." "Oh, thanks so much, doc." Crow says. "Of course. Oh, and she asked for Yusei and Crow. She's merely resting right now, so please be easy on her." The doctor and nurse walk off down the hallway.

Yusei and Crow soon enter the room.

Skylara's lying in bed, asleep.

Yusei places one of his hands on Skylara's shoulder, gently, waking her up. "Hey. How you feeling, sis?" Asks Yusei. "Just wonderful." Skylara says, sarcastically. "I see ya still have the energy to be sarcastic." Says Crow. "Hear anything on Jack?" Skylara asks. "No, ever since you've been out, it's been awfully quiet." Says Crow. "What about you? You feeling anything from the Crimson Dragon as of yet?" Yusei asks. "No, but its still in here. Being very dormant while being sealed off." Says Skylara. "Sealed off?" Crow asks. "Yes, that Jack we saw last night was somehow able to seal it very deep inside me to the point where it can't protect me or heal me. And if the Crimson Dragon can't protect me right now, it can't protect the other Signers either." Says Skylara. "So, if it's sealed off to the point where it's not able to protect or heal its host, which is you. Then what can it do at this point?" Crow asks. "Right now, it is the only thing keeping me alive and able to move." Says Skylara. "So then, how do you reverse it? I mean, if you can seal it off there's gotta be a way to unseal it." Yusei says. "All he said was that 'as long as he exists, the Crimson Dragon will continue to be sealed off'." Says Skylara. "Meaning we have to find Jack?" Crow asks. "Yes." Says Skylara. "Skylara, you're the link to all us Signers, you're the one who connects the Crimson Dragon to us. Can't you sense where Jack is? I mean, your connection with him is beyond us." Yusei says. "I know what you mean. However, I have already tried getting through to his mind. Only, he is not responding at all. It is almost like he has fallen off the face of the Earth." Says Skylara. Yusei and Crow exchange looks, this is serious. "Oh my God, I just realized something." Skylara says. "What is it, Skylara?" Asks Crow. "If the Crimson Dragon isn't protecting me right now, there is no protection for the other Signers. Every Signer is here, except for one." Skylara says. "Jack." Says Crow. "Meaning, Jack's in more trouble than we realize." Yusei says. "Not only that, Jack is in danger right now. We need to find him, before it is too late to do otherwise." Says Skylara. She gets up out of bed, still a little unsteady yet.

Crow and Yusei are both in reach in case Skylara needs to grab onto one of them to keep her from falling over. "I don't think you should be walking around yet." Crow says. "You're not medically cleared either." Says Yusei. Skylara reaches for her usual coat that's hanging in the closet. "I have been through worse than this. Right now, Jack is my first priority. If something happens to him, I won't be able to forgive myself." Skylara says. "Um, Skylara…" Says Crow. "You are not talking me out of this, Crow." Skylara says. "No, it's not that. But, um, Skylara, what's wrong with your Sign?" Asks Crow. "What do you mean?" Skylara asks. She looks down at her Sign of the Dragon's Head, burned into her right forearm. Skylara lifts it up to examine it closer. There are sinister looking black lines, almost like veins popping out, running through the Sign. "It is already starting and it is only going to get worse if we don't find Jack soon. Because if these lines continue to spread, they are going to spread to the rest of you, one by one, according to your Signs. It is already starting with me because I have the Sign of the Crimson Dragon's head. It will then make its way to the wings, which is Jack and you, Yusei. Then the claws, which is Akiza and Luna, until it reaches the tail, which is you, Crow. We need to get moving, now." Says Skylara. She places her coat on. "We keep this between us right now. Sooner or later, Jack will make an appearance again." Skylara says. Yusei and Crow both nod, understanding the high stakes.

A picturesque view of the New Domino City skyline, including the tip of the frame surrounding the golden teardrop at the center of that bridge. "This is Angela Reins reporting. Jack Atlas, the former turbo-dueling champion now charged with assault, has escaped from custody and is currently at large."

This broadcast is playing on a big screen somewhere in the middle of the city, several bystanders have stopped to listen to it. "Sector Security is advising citizens to avoid major highways if possible. Anyone with information pertaining to Atlas's whereabouts should contact the local authori…" Says Angela.

Yusei, Bruno, Crow, Akiza, the twins and Chibi Chibi have been watching the same broadcast on TV at Skylara and the guys' place. Someone just flicked off the TV. "We don't have 'information pertaining to his whereabouts', do we?" Leo asks, guiltily. "You said you saw him last night on the highway, right? He didn't say anything?" Asks Akiza, addressing Yusei. "No, not really. It was weird." Yusei says.

Flashback. A purple-tinged Red Dragon Archfiend is hovering above. 'Jack' smiles, unpleasantly. "He just smirked, and took off." Says Yusei, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. _"Jack, what is going on with you? Skylara thinks quite highly of you. She believes that, that wasn_ _'_ _t you who threw her or sealed off the Crimson Dragon from her. She is right about one thing though, we do need to find you before it_ _'_ _s too late."_ Yusei thinks to himself.

They all glance over when they hear a little stumble on the top stair. Skylara's gotten up from bed, still in a lot of pain from the night before.

"Skylara." Luna says. "Oh, you don't look so good." Says Leo. "Leo, you said you'd be nice!" Luna says. "What? What'd I say?" Asks Leo.

Yusei and Crow both walk over to Skylara, standing at either side of her, knowing that she could fall over at any minute. "Hey, you feelin' any better today?" Crow asks. "I have been through worse things." Says Skylara. "You're still planning on goin' through with this, aren't ya?" Crow asks. "You know how she is, Crow. Once she's made up her mind, there's no stopping her. No matter what kind of shape she's in." Says Yusei.

"Skylara, you should still be resting." Akiza says.

"I appreciate your concern, Akiza. All of you. However, I have made my decision and what I have decided is final." Says Skylara. "What about the Crimson Dragon? You can't exactly do much without 'im." Crow says. "It is doing all it can. The Crimson Dragon is the only thing that is making me able to move at this point." Says Skylara. "That may be, but you're getting worse. I mean, those lines are still spreading, right?" Yusei asks. "Yes, until we find the real Jack and unseal the Crimson Dragon. These evil lines will continue to spread until they reach the final Sign." Says Skylara. She pulls down her right coat sleeve, making her long coat go limp, and removes her armband and detached sleeve, revealing her Sign and the black lines that continue to run through it, the lines have spread down to her hand at this point, the lines are starting to spread to the markings on either side of her neck, they haven't gotten close to the symbol on her right cheek at all as of yet. Yusei reaches for Skylara's arm and grabs a hold of it, looking at her Sign and the black, vein-like lines that have it nearly enveloped. "This is getting very serious now." Yusei says. He then turns his attention to the markings at either side of her neck and the black, vein-like lines that have started to spread to them. "Do they hurt?" Asks Yusei. "Not really, it feels more like a burning sensation more than anything else." Skylara says. "Um, Skylara, what'll happen if the lines continue to spread onto the rest of us and finally reach me?" Asks Crow. Yusei releases Skylara's arm and she takes it back. Skylara places her detached sleeve and armband back on. "Hopefully, it won't come to that. However, if you really must know. If this continues and spreads onto the rest of the Signers and finally reaches you. The Crimson Dragon shall cease to exist. The rest of you shall be spared and be free to live your normal lives again." Skylara says. She places her long, black coat back on and readjusts it. "The rest of us?" Asks Yusei. "We'll be free to live our normal lives again?" Crow asks.

"We won't be Singers anymore? So, I won't be able to communicate with Duel Spirits or visit the Duel Spirits World anymore?" Asks Luna. "And I won't be a psychic duelist anymore?" Akiza asks.

"That part of you two still remains to be seen. After all, you were both given your abilities through dueling, isn't that right? Luna's appeared through her kindness, while Akiza's appeared due to her passion." Says Skylara.

Luna nods. "Yes." Luna says. Akiza nods, mutely.

"Crow's came with his courage when he helped us defeat Goodwin and the Dark Signers." Says Skylara. Crow nods. "Yep!" Crow says. "Yusei's appeared due to his generosity." Says Skylara. Yusei nods, mutely. "Jack's Sign appeared before I found out he was a Signer or really knew anything about the Signers and the Crimson Dragon. However, if I would have to guess, his might have appeared due to his honesty." Skylara says. "That's the Jack we've come to know over the years." Says Crow.

"But Skylara, what about you? When did yours first appear?" Luna asks. "Although, doesn't she have two Signs?" Asks Leo.

"Yeah, but the one on her stomach just signifies that the Crimson Dragon resides within her." Yusei says. "So then, how did you get yours, Skylara?" Asks Crow. "Unlike the rest of you, my Sign didn't appear at a certain time. I was born with my Sign, actually. I was also born with the Seal of the Crimson Dragon." Skylara says. "Yeah, but there had to be a reason why the Crimson Dragon chose you as its host." Says Crow.

"I think I know." Akiza says.

"Akiza?" Asks Yusei.

"I think the Crimson Dragon chose her due to her loyalty." Akiza says. "What makes you think that, Akiza?" Asks Leo. "Because Leo, if you think about it. Has Skylara ever once abandoned any of us? From the moment she met us all, she stood by us and believed in us. She looks out for all of us, that's loyalty. That's why the Crimson Dragon chose her of all people to be its host." Akiza says.

"I think Akiza's right." Says Crow. "I have to agree with that." Yusei says.

"So do I." Says Luna. "Me too." Leo says.

"I'm sure Jack would agree with that, too." Says Yusei. "Only one thing though. If the lines continue to spread and they manage to reach Crow. If the Crimson Dragon ceases to exist, I won't be coming back." Skylara says. "What are you saying, Skylara?" Asks Crow.

"Yeah, what do you mean you won't be coming back?" Leo asks. "You're not going to leave us are you?" Asks Luna.

Akiza and Yusei are silent.

"The Crimson Dragon is my life force. It is my heart and my soul. Why do you think I get weakened and close to dying when I lend the Crimson Dragon to either Yusei or Jack. Without the Crimson Dragon, I shall die." Skylara says.

Everyone else gasps, in awe and shock.

"It only makes since. I was born with the Crimson Dragon inside of me and if it doesn't continue to do so, I shall die. However, it won't happen as of yet. That is why we need to find Jack, whether it is the real Jack or the imposter Jack. And it is also very important that each of you keep a close eye on your Signs, as well." Says Skylara.

The Signers all nod, each one understanding the situation that they're in.

At an office building somewhere in New Domino City. "I'm telling you, Jack is innocent! I'm not gonna write some hacky smear piece!" Carly says. She slams her hand on the table, on top of a couple magazine covers with pictures of Jack and his runner. "I betcha ten-to-one that he busted out because he's trying to clear his name!" Says Carly. She is leaning over Mr. Pitts' desk, he stands and gets right back in her face. They're nose to nose, all but snarling at each other. "Listen, I didn't ask you to write your theories! I asked you to write my theories, and my theories involve celebrity scandal and stolen money!" "If-that's what you want, then you can write it yourself!" Carly says. She straightens up, turns and storms out, slamming the door behind her.

Several other journalists in the room collectively steal a nervous glance over their shoulder at the door through which Carly left.

Carly is driving down the highway in her little car, still tense with anger. _"The truth is out there somewhere, and I'm gonna do whatever it takes to find it!"_ Carly thinks to herself.

Sunset, in a parking lot somewhere. "Are you serious? Do you have proof?" Asks Carly. She's talking to the two wacky hippie citizens, the girl with the afro and her friend with the long black hair and red T-shirt, through their car window. "Yeah, man. Right here." He shows Carly a picture on his digital camera, two identical duel runners like Jack's, riding ahead of the car from which the photo was taken. "Check it out, man! Two Jacks, right there! One was like 'vroom!' and then 'whahaaa!' and then the other was like 'yahaa!'" "Tch-yeah, it was one of the grooviest things ever!" Carly leans back from the window, smiling, she has her proof. "You're the grooviest thing ever, babe!" "No, you!" "No, you!" "No, you!"

"What did you say?!" Yusei asks. "You're sure it wasn't a fake picture or somethin'?" Asks Crow. "Yeah, it's just gotta be. It's not exactly a common model, his is the only one like it. Why would someone else build another one, unless..." Yusei says. He and Crow look at each other.

Yusei and Crow tear up the highway, as the sun sets.

"That Jack we saw last night was an impostor, just like Skylara said and you doubted her, Crow!" Says Yusei.

"Yeah, yeah. Okay, she was right, are ya happy now? So, the big question now is, where's the real Jack?!" Crow asks.

The area around the shattered hole in the side of the track is barricaded with signs.

"Remember how the barrier next to the fake Jack was shattered?" Asks Yusei.

"You don't think that...?!" Crow asks.

"I don't know. Let's just check the area below the highway." Says Yusei.

He and Crow park. Yusei glances around, Crow takes off his helmet and does the same. Crow leans over the rocky edge they're standing on, spots something and skids down the steep slope, running toward it. "Huh?" Crow asks.

"Crow!" Says Yusei.

Crow leans over and finds what he saw, the card Trust Guardian, lying abandoned among the rocks. "Oh, no!" Crow says. He picks it up and stares at it, closely.

Yusei joins Crow. "What is that, is that one a' Jack's cards?" Asks Yusei. Crow sinks to one knee, shaking. "It's Trust Guardian! He wouldn't drop this!" Crow says. The card falls from his hand. Crow's nearly crying, floored with grief. "Something's happened! I can't believe I said all that mean stuff, Yusei! Ugh, I mean, ohh, he could be gone, an', an'..." Says Crow. Yusei picks up the card and looks at it. "I'm sorry, Jack!" Crow says. "What happened?" Asks Yusei. Ringing. Yusei stands up and takes a cell phone out of his pocket, glances at the front and answers it. "We have trouble." Skylara says, via-phone. "What is it, Skylara?" Asks Yusei.

In the fading sunset, the false Jack is on the move. "Jack's been spotted on the highway again and Sector Security is after him." Skylara says, in voice-over.

The space is all shades of purple and black, with a bit of red brightening the purple in some places. Grey masses, like giant wads of lint or bolls of coarse and soot-filled cotton, float in the ether. A few are attached to vines or tentacles, which restrain the real Jack's arms and legs. Jack struggles in the void against their grasp, teeth bared, with rage and fear. Directly ahead of Jack, wherever that is, the void presents a screen that gives him a front-row seat, as Security hunts his double. The false Jack looks directly at the real one through the screen as he rides, laughing malevolently. "Let me go! Who are you?! Whaddayou think you're doing, pretending to be me?!" Asks Jack. "You don't get it, do you, old chum! I am you, a better you! Huhuhahahahaha!" "No!" Jack says.

The fake Jack races down the highway, pursued by five Security officers on duel runners.

One of them is Officer Kaz. "Come on, Jack! You're only making things worse, turn yourself in!" Says Kaz.

The fake Jack ignores him.

They ride into a tunnel.

Fake Jack rides up the side of the tunnel and runs over two light fixtures, shattering them with his wheel.

Glass shards fly into the faces of the oncoming Security riders. They panic and crash. "Look out!" "Whoa-a-a-a!"

Only Kaz rides out of the ensuing cloud of dust and smoke. "Jack, stop! This isn't like you! You're a good guy!" Kaz says.

"Ahahahahaha! Did you hear that? He thinks you're a good guy, how very sweet! I guess it's safe to say he doesn't know you very well, isn't it?!"

Jack leans forward against the bonds. "Stop ruining my name!" Says Jack, furiously.

In the big blue room. The four Directors are watching Jack in his prison.

"Do you think it possible that we've overestimated this Atlas character? I'm starting to doubt whether or not he fits into the grand design." Primo says.

"Have patience. All men struggle when trying to defeat the enemy within. It is through this struggle that they find their true strength." Says Jakob.

"You better be right. It was hard conjuring the energy to copy all those cards of his." Lester says.

Jack fights and struggles against the imprisoning vines. "Ugh, uagh!" "Hey, Officer Kaz!" Says Crow. Jack looks up, eyes wide, with surprise and horror. "Crow?!" Jack asks.

Yusei and Crow are gaining on Kaz and the fake Jack on their own runners.

"Stay back, guys! You can't get involved!" Says Kaz.

"That isn't Jack, Kaz! It's some sort of loser impostor!" Crow says.

He and Yusei are riding on Kaz's right and left wings.

"Impostor? What're you talking about, of course it's Jack!" Says Kaz.

"No, it's not! He's a fake!" Yusei says.

"A fake?!" Asks Kaz.

"Hahahahahaha! Sounds like someone can't accept that I've finally decided to be who I really am!"

"Accept this!" Skylara says. A familiar black runner rams the fake Jack's runner, sending him spinning and colliding into the tunnel wall.

The false Jack smiles, quite impressed. "Well, well. Jack's precious little chickadee has finally shown up, eager to try to bring back your beloved."

Skylara glares at him.

"Huh, I thought I put you in the hospital? I guess it wasn't enough to keep you down, was it my little chickadee?"

"Stop calling me that! I don't know who you are trying to fool! However, you can't deceive me, I'm afraid!" Says Skylara.

"Whatever are you talking about? I am the real Jack Atlas now, the one that your looking for no longer exists. That fool was a weakling and a pathetic has-been. How did you ever manage to put up with 'im, my little chickadee?"

"Shut up! You know nothing about the relationship between us! You may look and talk like Jack! However, you don't have what the real Jack does!" Skylara says.

"Oh, and tell me, what is it that I'm lacking from 'im?"

"You don't have his heart! As a matter of fact, you don't have a heart at all, do you?! Because, if you were the real Jack Atlas, you wouldn't have done any of the things that you did to me last night." Says Skylara.

"Just accept that I've changed for the better. This is who I am now and no one is going to change that. Not even you."

"I dunno who you are, but you are not Jack Atlas! Sure, Jack's an arrogant and selfish egomaniac, an' he always eats my cereal, but he's my buddy and 'cause a' you, I said horrible things I can't take back now! You don't know what it's like to know you might never be able to apologize to your friend?!" Crow asks.

"I'm right here, Crow!" Says Jack.

"But even if I can't tell my friend that I'm sorry, I can at least try to do 'im right by kicking your sorry butt!" Crow says.

"Go ahead and try it, pipsqueak!" Fake Jack decelerates, swerving back towards Crow and then turns on his engine, blasting Crow with it.

"Whaa, aaaaahh!"

"Crow, no!" Says Jack.

Crow's runner bounces back along the tunnel, first on its front wheel, then on its back. Crow comes flying after it, landing hard on the pavement. "Agh! Agh!"

Yusei rides past. "You okay?!" Yusei asks.

"Hahahahaha! That little joke thought he could take me on, but a champion like me devours pipsqueaks like him on a daily basis!"

"No way! If you were really Jack Atlas, you'd know that, that little joke is one a' your best buds, and you wouldn't do anything to hurt your friends!" Says Yusei.

"Or even your own girlfriend, for that matter!" Skylara says.

"A champion has no use for friends or lovers! Only losers sit around and depend on friends and lovers, champions reign alone!" Fake Jack looses a smokescreen from the back of his runner.

"Look out!" Says Skylara.

"Hah!" Yusei's riding through a thick fog, he can't see a thing, until he sees the shadow of fake Jack's runner decelerating toward him, about to do the same to him that it did to Crow.

"Yusei!" Jack says.

The false Jack now goes for Skylara next. "Now, it's only you and me, chickadee. Only, don't expect Jack to save you this time."

"That is it! You have messed with me, you messed with my boyfriend, you messed with my best friend and now you have messed with my brother! I don't care what you do to me! However, you mess with the ones I hold dear, you have another thing coming!" Says Skylara.

"So, what is it that your saying now, little chickadee?"

"I'm saying I have had enough! I'm sick and tired of all of this nonsense and I'm sick and tired of having to listen to you talk all high and mighty about yourself, when you took the cowards way out. You got rid of the real Jack and impersonated him! Well, now I have had it! You are not my Jack, not even close!" Skylara says. She collides into fake Jack and he's now scrapping against the tunnel, only he turns it around and tries reaching for her heart again. "Oh, no you don't." Says Skylara.

Both of their runners skid and they both go crashing against a track barrier. They're both on opposite sides of the track, lying on the track.

"Skylara! That does it!" Jack says. He fights even harder against the bonds, they spark and crackle with power. "Nobody messes with my mates and my girl, and gets away with it!" Says Jack. He clenches his fists and shatters the bonds around his wrists, yanking away from the vines restraining his arms and his whole prison shatters.

Jack is sitting alone in the dark, in a metal chair, with several thick wires emerging from the back, wearing a visored helmet. Jack pulls it off and throws it away, looking around. Jack's runner is parked nearby. _"My duel runner!"_ Jack thinks to himself.

He bursts through the metal doors of the cave he was trapped in, riding. Jack hits the ground, bounces slightly and races away toward the City.

Yusei and Kaz ride out of the tunnel, only to be stopped shortly by some sort of barrier. "I'm in pursuit of the suspect, heading north through Centerfield District! Requesting backup!" Kaz says, in his headset, urgently.

The fake Jack then gets up and back onto his runner. He revs up his runners engine, aiming it to probably permanently take out Skylara.

Skylara tries to get up to her hands and knees, only she doesn't have the strength to do so. The black, vein-like lines have spread further up the markings on either side of her neck, the ones on the right side are close to reaching the symbol etched into her right cheek.

"Well chickadee, if memory serves me correctly. You've been able to escape a close encounter with death before, but the question still remains."

Skylara looks over at him, weakly. Skylara's barely moving, aside from her breathing.

The fake Jack smirks at her. "Can you escape another close call? Let's find out shall we." He then twists his accelerator grip and races right towards Skylara.

Skylara closes her eyes, out of weakness.

He comes so close to hitting Skylara.

Just then, a second circular, white runner jumps the edge of the highway above. "Make way for the real Jack Atlas, you second-rate wannabe!" Jack crashes right down on top of the fake's duel runner, sending both of them spinning.

"It's Jack!" Says Yusei. "There really are two of 'em!" Kaz says.

Crow is picking up his runner. And the screen shows the two white runners, neck and neck. "Ugh, huh?! Wait, does this mean Jack is okay?!" Asks Crow.

The real Jack brakes between the fake Jack and Skylara.

Jack then steps off of his runner and runs over to Skylara, falls to his knees and kneels over her. "Skylara." Jack says. He then glares up at his double. "I can't even begin to imagine the terrible things you've put her through, but I'm putting an end to it!" Says Jack.

"I'd be careful though. You see, it's like I told your beloved last night. As long as I continue to exist and become more powerful, she becomes weaker and comes so much closer to 'er deathbed. Without the Crimson Dragon, 'er life will end. That beast may still lie dormant within her, but her life will end today if that creature continues to remain sealed off as long as I'm here."

"Rest assured, I'll get rid of you before that happens. Sorry, but Skylara won't be dying today. I'll make sure of it." Jack says.

"She's already losing to me. She can barely move as it is."

Jack lifts Skylara up, carefully, and holds her close to his chest. "Skylara, can you hear me?" Asks Jack.

Skylara opens her eyes. "I'm glad to see that you have returned and that you are alright." Skylara says, weakly. "Yeah, I'm alright. But, you're so badly hurt. This is all my fault for not getting rid of this guy sooner, I could've prevented all this from happening to you." Says Jack. Skylara places one of her hands on Jack's face. "Don't blame yourself for any of this. Yes, I may have gotten a little banged up through this whole thing. However, seeing that your back alive and unharmed, makes it worth it." Skylara says, weakly. "But still, you shouldn't have had to go through all this and I'm so deeply sorry, love." Says Jack. He lowers his head, making his bangs shield his eyes. Jack's trying to fight off tears, his voice is giving away to sadness though. "Oh, Jack. Don't cry. Not for me." Skylara says, weakly. "I'm not crying, I just got something in my eyes." Says Jack. His tears are streaming down his cheeks. Skylara pulls Jack closer to herself, turning his hold on her into a hug. Jack's now tearing into Skylara's shoulder. "Jack, it is going to be alright. I'm fine, you are here with me and that is all that matters." Skylara says, weakly. "But, if this would've gone on any further, you would've been seriously hurt or worse even killed. And I would've had to live with that for the rest of my life. I wouldn't be able to live with that burden on my shoulders, knowing I wasn't able to save you for the rest of my life. You mean more to me than my own life, there's nothing I care for more than you. That's how much you mean to me, love." Says Jack, through tears. One of his tears glows crimson red and lands on Skylara's chest, where her heart resides. The crimson red glow continues to glow and it catches Jack's eye. "What? What is this?" Jack asks. The glow becomes brighter and then ceases.

"Quite a fancy light show, but that's all it was."

"That is what you think!" Says Skylara. She then suddenly has the strength to move and stand up to her feet. "Skylara?" Jack asks. "You see, you may have sealed it off. However, Jack just unsealed it. The Crimson Dragon has returned to its all powerful self." Says Skylara. Her eyes glow crimson red, showing that the Crimson Dragon is still there and it's not happy right now. Skylara then falls back, landing right into Jack's outreached arms. Jack's holding Skylara close to himself. "You alright, love?" Jack asks. "Yes. Thank you, Jack." Says Skylara.

"Only how is it possible, I sealed that beast off?"

Skylara glares at Jack's double, her eyes have gone dim, but still remain red. "Don't you get it?! It was your hate and lies that sealed it away, but Jack unsealed it by revealing his love and showing his honesty. The Crimson Dragon is back, healing and repairing all that you have done to me." Skylara says. Jack's now glaring at his double. "You see, you've failed. But, did you honestly think taking her life wouldn't have angered me more?!" Asks Jack.

"I can take you both out together if you want?" He then races toward both of them now.

Jack reacts fast and jumps, moving them both out of the way in time. Jack then lands on his feet, near the side of his runner, now having Skylara cradled in his arms. "You're not taking either of us out, ya got that!" Jack says. He steps back onto his runner.

Fake Jack then takes off ahead.

The real Jack follows after.

The barrier keeping Officer Kaz and Yusei back has disappeared, too.

Jack is looking down at Skylara, who's still in the process of healing and recovering. Skylara's sitting sideways on his lap and her head is lying on his shoulder. "You're safe now, I won't let him touch you again." Says Jack.

Skylara opens her still red eyes, weakly, and offers him a card. "Jack, here." Skylara says, weakly. Jack smiles and takes it, Trust Guardian. "Hmph! You really want me to use this card, don't you, love?" Asks Jack. He places it on the top of his deck, which automatically shuffles it in. "You claim to be a better version of me, but you're wrong. You're not a better me, you're the worst of me! You're all my negative qualities come to life, and I may've let you defeat me once, but now it's time for a rematch!" Jack says.

"Hah!"

"Let's do this! Activating the 'Speed World Two' field spell!" Says both Jack's. "Duel mode, engaged." The computer says. A ring of light spreads outward from the two runners and twin rings of light appear around the runners in an infinity symbol.

"This white light again. This must be what makes duel damage become real somehow!" Says Jack.

The duel lane signs pop up along the highway and a holographic barrier appears to separate off the farthest right lane. Colorful lines spread over the familiar road map of Domino City. "Formulating cross-town duel course and awaiting Central Grid Authority's official authorization. Authorization has been granted. A turbo-duel is about to commence. Combat lane transfiguration underway. All non-dueling vehicles must vacate the combat lane immediately." The computer says. Blocks of raised street erupt from the ocean, leading away from sparkling New Domino City and straight toward the camera. The two white runners roar through a gate onto a dueling track.

"Let's do this!"

"You're goin' down!" Says Jack.

The light panels above the dueling track are lighting up.

"I'll go first! I summon Archfiend Interceptor, in attack mode! Next, I place one card face down and end my turn! Honestly, you clown, how d'you expect to defeat me when I'm the better you!"

"I hope you're ready to eat those words! It's my turn!" Jack says. _"Trust Guardian!"_ Jack thinks to himself.

Flashback. When he dueled this clone last time, he summoned Dread Dragon and Vice Dragon, then used them to synchro-summon Exploder Dragonwing. _"If I had used this during our first duel, I would've been able to synchro-summon Red Dragon Archfiend before him, but I let my pride get in the way. That was a huge mistake. A mistake I can't let happen again!"_ Jack thinks to himself, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "When your field is the only one that has any monsters on it, I'm able to summon Vice Dragon from my hand! Next, I'm summoning the Trust Guardian tuner monster!" Says Jack. At last it appears, a caricatured little angel, with fluffy, feathery little wings on its back and a big, red helmet. It wears a dark blue tunic and little red boots. Despite its cuddly appearance, its face is stubbornly resolute.

If a synchro monster uses Trust Guardian as synchro material, it can negate its destruction by giving up four hundred attack points.

"Oh, yeah!" Yusei says.

"And now, Vice Dragon gets a tuning from Trust Guardian!" Says Jack. Vice Dragon's golden outlines and shining stars fly through Trust Guardian's three green rings. A familiar claw flexes and stretches out of the bright light. "I synchro-summon, Red Dragon Archfiend! Now, prepare to lose! Hope you're ready, 'cause Red Dragon Archfiend is attacking Archfiend Interceptor! Go, Absolute Powerforce!" Jack says.

"I'm more than ready, 'cause when you attack Archfiend Interceptor you take five hundred points of direct damage!"

"Ugh!" Says Jack. His lifepoints are down to 3500. "I may've taken a hit, but Archfiend's gonna destroy Archfiend Interceptor!" Jack says.

And fake Jack gets taken down to 2400 lifepoints.

"I place one card face down and end my turn!" Says Jack.

"This should be fun! Hehehahah! Now you're the only one with monsters on his field, so that means that I can summon Vice Dragon just like you did!"

"And that means..." Jack says.

"That I'm summoning the Flare Resonator tuner monster! Now, Flare Resonator tunes Vice Dragon!" The flaming version of Dark Resonator taps his tuning fork and blazes even brighter. "I synchro-summon, Red Dragon Archfiend!" The second Archfiend's scales are a deep violet and its eyes spark bright amethyst.

"A fake, just like you!" Says Jack.

"Two Dragon Archfiends, how is that possible!" Yusei says.

"When a synchro monster uses Flare Resonator as synchro material, it gains three hundred attack points!"

"He's made his Red Dragon Archfiend more powerful than mine!" Says Jack.

"Attack! Go, Absolute Powerforce!"

Jack's lifepoints are down to 3200. "When a synchro monster uses Trust Guardian as synchro material, it can save itself from destruction by sacrificing four hundred attack points!" Jack says.

"I place one card face down and end my turn! So, to keep your Dragon on the field, you humiliated it by making it weaker? How pathetic!"

"The duelist who relies too much on power will eventually be defeated by power! Allow me to demonstrate! Go, Red Dragon Archfiend! Wipe that impostor off the field!" Says Jack. Archfiend prepares to launch a fireball.

"Your Red Dragon isn't as powerful as mine is! Are you just givin' up now or something?!"

"No, I'm just activating the 'Assault Spirits' trap! See, by sending one monster with less than a thousand attack points to my graveyard, I can give that monster's attack points to Red Dragon! Now, we've got a real clash of the titans!" Jack says.

The two Dragon Archfiends tackle each other.

"So, it's mutually assured destruction you want?"

"You're forgetting about Trust Guardian's ability! By sacrificing four hundred attack points, my Red Dragon can survive! I place one card face down and end my turn! And the effect of 'Assault Spirits' wears off." Says Jack. This leaves Red Dragon Archfiend with only 2200 attack points, but unlike its purple-shaded enemy, it's still standing.

"Hmph! A wounded little lizard like that can hardly call itself Red Dragon Archfiend! Just like you, it's not who it once was! It's a shadow of its former self! Now, since there's no monsters on my field, I can summon Big Piece Golem in attack mode! Next, I'm activating the 'Angel Baton' speed spell! Now, I can draw two cards from my deck and send one from my hand to my graveyard! Then, I activate the 'Powerful Rebirth' trap card, which enables me to summon Small Piece Golem from my graveyard! And then, I'll enhance its strength with 'Rebirth's' power, increasing its attack points by a hundred! Then, when I've got Big Golem and Small Golem together, I can summon Medium Piece Golem as well!"

"And now you'll fusion-summon Multiple Piece Golem by using 'Speed Fusion', right?" Jack asks.

"Don't be absurd." He turns to ride backwards. "I'm going to use that 'Assault Spirits' trap card of yours as bait, to summon Trap Eater to the field!"

"A tuner monster?!" Asks Jack.

"Now, my level-four Trap Eater tunes my level-four Small Piece Golem! I synchro-summon, Red Dragon Archfiend!" This Dragon Archfiend's scales are a brilliant shade of cerulean blue.

"You've got another one?!" Jack asks.

"And now, since I successfully synchro-summoned, I can summon the Synchro Magnet tuner monster from my hand! And with it on my field, I can give Big Piece Golem a tune-up! Next, I play 'Reincarnation Ring'! By releasing my level-four Medium Piece Golem, this trap allows me to summon a monster from my graveyard that's twice as powerful! Why settle for just two?!" Two more sets of all-too-familiar claws stretch forth from the bright light. Two more sets of small, almond-shaped eyes light up. "When you can battle with three Red Dragon Archfiends!" Now there are three, the purple one, the blue one and a third, that's a shade of yellow.

"He's got three Red Dragon Archfiends?!" Asks Jack.

"Incredible!" Yusei says.

"Amazing!" Says Kaz.

"Haha! This is the big finish, little clown! The grand finale! The ultimate climax! My three Red Dragon Archfiends are going to feast on your withering little beast!" Blue and Purple muscle in first and both pummel and roast Jack's lone Dragon Archfiend.

Jack takes the damage and is all the way down to 1200 lifepoints in a single attack. "Uuugghhaaaaaaaaaagggghhh! Hold out, Red Dragon! Stay strong!" Jack says. Red Dragon's attack points fall to 1400, dramatically, it's all but falling out of the sky.

And the yellow one still hasn't attacked. "This is the end! My third Red Dragon Archfiend attacks!" The third Archfiend belches forth a huge, fiery blaze, straight toward Jack and his dragon.

"If this attack succeeds, then Jack is a goner!" Says Yusei. It blazes toward Jack and Archfiend.

"No! Come on, Jack! Do something!" Kaz says.

The blast connects. "Ahahahahahahahahahaha!"

The third and final Dragon Archfiend, the yellow one, looses its fiery attack. "It's the end a' the road, Jack! My third Red Dragon attacks! Ahahahahahahahahahaha, whah?!"

Within the huge column of flames, a runner and dragon can just barely be seen, Jack is still standing.

"What happened?!" Asks both Yusei and Kaz.

Jack rides out of the dissipating cloud of flame and smoke, an activated trap coasting beside him. Jack still has 400 lifepoints remaining.

Fake Jack turns around to ride forward, irritably. "So, you managed to delay your defeat by activating 'Ray of Hope' and halving the damage!"

"And let's not forget 'Ray of Hope's' other effect! After the end of the battle phase, I can use 'Ray of Hope' to summon one level-one monster from my hand. So, I summon, Dark Bug!" Jack says.

"Cute. But, it won't do you much good! Meanwhile, every time Red Dragon Archfiend takes an attack, it withers even more, losing its claws, losing its fangs, losing its will to go on and becoming less of a fighter, just like you!"

"You just don't get it! It's true that I've been struggling lately, but I've emerged and I'm stronger than I used to be!" Says Jack.

Yusei and Kaz are listening, closely.

Crow is, too.

And Skylara is, as well. "Because I have people in my life that I trust and love." Jack says. Jack's Red Dragon Archfiend's scales are scored with glowing scratches, but it still stands strong. "Red Dragon Archfiend, who battles on despite the damage it's taken, and the Trust Guardian that continues to protect it, both represent the strength my friends and my love give me!" Says Jack. "That is right." Skylara says, weakly. "You're the selfish Jack I used to be, the Jack that had no use for friends and that makes you the weaker one!" Jack brandishes his right arm and it burns with the Wing of the Crimson Dragon. Jack looks down when he feels Skylara's hand on his chest, her Sign is glowing through her coat sleeve and detached sleeve, as well. The symbol on Skylara's right cheek and the markings that run along the sides of her neck have also started flaring. The symbolic designs burned into Skylara's right shoulder-blade have lit up, as well.

Yusei gasps as his arm lights up, immediately.

The symbolic designs etched into Skylara's left shoulder-blade have also started shining.

As do Luna and Akiza.

The extra markings that run along Skylara's arms and legs are now glowing, as well.

And Crow.

The symbolic designs that are etched down Skylara's lower back also start lighting.

Jack pauses a moment longer.

And the Sign vanishes from Yusei's arm.

Luna's and Akiza's Signs fade next. Leo and Bruno are looking over their shoulders, equally stunned. "What's going on?" Asks Akiza. "We're gathering together!" Luna says.

Crow watches the Sign disappear from his arm.

Jack continues to look down at Skylara, as the Seal of the Crimson Dragon, all six marks combined, ignites on her abdomen, burning through her shirt. Skylara's already red-hued eyes are now glowing in crimson light and the red gradation portion of her hair is also flaring in crimson red. "Alright, Crimson Dragon. Give Jack the power that he needs." Says Skylara. The Seal of the Crimson Dragon soon goes dim and vanishes from her, and since her hand is already on Jack's chest, the heart of power goes to him immediately. The Seal of the Crimson Dragon now ignites on Jack's back, visible through his riding suit. As her markings, symbolic designs and Sign, eyes and red gradated portion of her hair start to all go dim, Skylara's slowly losing consciousness. Jack notices, instantly, she's risking her very life for his. Jack touches her face, holding at it, lightly. Skylara looks up at him, weakly. "Skylara, why?" Jack asks. "I love you, Jack. That is why..." Says Skylara, weakly. She's just gone unconscious.

"Skylara." Jack says, softly. He then moves Skylara's motionless body closer to his, almost cradling her up against himself. "I'm finishing this for you, Skylara. You'll come back to me once I finish this, just stay with me." Says Jack. The top card of his deck is glowing. "Now, allow me to show you what a real duelist is capable of! I hope you're ready to accept defeat, because you're gonna lose! I summon to the field Majestic Dragon, in attack mode!" Jack says. The card glows even brighter, as he slaps it down on his duel disk. Majestic Dragon appears in midair with a graceful horizontal pirouette, glowing with an inner light. "And now, Majestic Dragon tunes Red Dragon Archfiend and Dark Bug!" Says Jack. Red Dragon Archfiend, still covered with scratches, roars and rises higher into the sky, alongside little, robotic Dark Bug. Majestic Dragon twirls upward to meet them and spreads its cute little wings to glide. The air blurs and the tiny tuner dragon seems to expand. Red Dragon Archfiend flies through the green rings and its scratches disappear, the golden outlines don't include its wounds, only its bright and shining stars. Dark Bug follows Archfiend. The ten stars align within Majestic Dragon's shining form and light explodes out from the tuning. Jack leaps from the track, into the light. "This is my true power! I synchro-summon, Majestic Red Dragon!" Jack says. His dragon, a living flame, takes the sky, gracefully.

"Unbelievable!"

Jack and his runner are floating in a cloud of shimmering fiery sparks. "Believe it, you inadequate punk! And Majestic Red Dragon has a special ability, it can absorb all of the attack points from one of the monsters on your field! Go, Power Gain!" Says Jack. Majestic Red Dragon radiates the light of a magnificent lantern and breathes a shower of mist onto the purplish Dragon Archfiend, and then breathes it back in, shining even brighter, a dragon made of living, breathing fire. Its attack points rocket to 7000 and the three lesser dragons hovering around it begin to look a lot like kindling.

"Seven thousand attack points?!"

"It's been so nice and all, having you around. But, it's time for the real Jack Atlas to stand up! Go, Ultimate Powerforce!"

Power has been gathering in the air around Majestic Red Dragon, glowing like red-hot coals, it rears back and forms a blinding, blazing whirlwind of fire, bulleting forward surrounded by a huge cloud of fire, glowing brighter and brighter, larger and larger, the three false Archfiends are overwhelmed. One by one, they roar and evaporate, incinerated. The false Jack screams and it sounds completely metallic.

"That thing's a robot?!" Yusei asks.

Huge explosion.

Yusei and Kaz stop short of the dust cloud.

The fake's cards drift to the ground and begin first to glow, then to disappear, evaporating into little yellow motes of light, including all three Dragon Archfiend cards.

The three guys watch, silently, while the cards evaporate, it's like a big cloud of fireflies or glowing pollen.

The four Directors are also watching, looking down at the light show from the cards.

"Well, I guess that was impressive." Says Primo, grudgingly.

Lester looks annoyed. "And I went through all that trouble to copy those cards, what a waste!" Lester says.

The vision below dissipates and the pinkish, sort of glowing stone with white lines in it, the Directors' all-important circuit, appears in its place. A new, glowing white line traces its way through the rock, sparking brightly.

"The circuit has been activated." Says Galaxia.

Primo still looks unimpressed.

"Excellent. I told you he'd fit into the grand design!" Jakob says.

Jack rolls to a halt and his friends run over to him, as he takes off his helmet, triumphantly. Jack's still holding Skylara's, who's still unconscious and motionless, aside from her shallow breathing. "Jack!" Says Yusei. "You did it and I witnessed the whole thing, so I can testify that you weren't the one committing those crimes!" Kaz says. "Thank you, Kaz." Says Jack.

Crow joins them on his runner and rides right up next to him. Crow takes off his helmet and leans in close, scrutinizing Jack's face. "Hold still." Crow says. "O-kay." Says Jack. Crow leans back, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. Crow wipes them away with a fingertip, hurriedly, then with his sleeve. "It-it is you! I thought I'd never see you again! I said a lotta things about you that weren't true, I-I said all sortsa mean stuff, an' I-I, I called you names, like…" Crow says. Jack is smiling. "It's not your fault, Crow. I was being stubborn." Says Jack. He laughs a bit. "Although if you wanna keep groveling and apologizing, I'll take it." Jack says. "Okay, don't milk it, ya jerk!" Says Crow. Yusei, Kaz and Jack laugh. Jack then turns serious and looks down at Skylara, taking in her unconscious form. "Jack, what's wrong?" Kaz asks. "She risked her life to save mine. That fake me brought her into this and used her so I'd let my guard down. None of this would've happened to her if I'd just ended it when I had the chance." Says Jack. "No, Jack. You can't blame yourself for what that fake did. Skylara was the one who knew that, that wasn't you. We're the ones at fault, we doubted you." Crow says. "She fought through injuries that landed her in the hospital, just to find you and bring you back. The love you two have for each other is beyond powerful. You've both risked your lives for each other time and time again, all due to the love you share." Says Yusei. Jack gasps, slightly, when Skylara starts to stir in his arms. "Skylara?" Jack asks.

Skylara opens her emerald green eyes and looks up at him, tiredly. "Hey." Says Skylara, softly. Jack smiles and turns his hold on her into a hug. "Oh, Skylara. I'm so glad your alright." Jack says. Skylara smiles, lightly. "It is good to have you back, Jack." Says Skylara, tiredly.

Above, the tranquil clouds halfway conceal the bright full moon.

Later, in Jack and Skylara's room. Jack is lying on his back on the right side of the bed, hands folded behind his head, thinking about his impostor. Jack's wearing his usual pants and the sleeveless, black shirt he wears under his blazer.

"Still thinking about the imposter?" Skylara asks. She's sitting at a vanity, brushing her hair. Skylara's wearing her black, long-sleeved, short-skirted yukata, with white edging, over her purple undershirt. The black obi is wrapped around her waist and tied, with a black and white string, and she's also wearing her black tights, that gradate to purple at her ankles.

"Yeah, but I'm not exactly worried about him anymore." Says Jack.

"That is a good thing, isn't it?" Skylara asks.

Jack then gets out of the bed and walks over to her.

Skylara stops brushing her hair and sets the brush down, Jack is now standing behind. Skylara then stands up and Jack is pressed up against her back, wrapping one of his arms around her waist and rubbing her arm with his other hand, soothingly. "I would think so. 'Cause now I can focus more on us." Says Jack. "That's my Jack. You are the one and only, Jack Atlas." Skylara says. "That's my girl." Says Jack. He then leans down, moving Skylara's hair out of the way and kisses the crevice between her neck and shoulder, making her close her eyes, crane her neck and let out a moan, in pleasure. Jack smiles. "You okay, love?" Jack asks. "Yes." Says Skylara. Jack turns her towards him, holding her close to himself and lifts up her chin, making her look him in the eyes. "Skylara, I don't ever want to make you feel pressured into doing anything with me." Jack says. He moves his hand to Skylara's cheek, caressing her face. "I know you've been raped who knows how many times. If I ever become to forceful for you, I want you to tell me and then I'll stop." Says Jack. Skylara places her hands on his, gripping it with both of hers. "Jack, I know you would never do anything like that to me. I'm not afraid to do it with you, I wish you were my first." Skylara says. "But, you're my first." Says Jack. He then kisses her and she returns it back to him, sharing a passionate kiss.

The kiss soon deepens and Skylara wraps her arms around Jack's neck, while his hands move down to her waist. They're lips soon separate, looking into each others eyes, deeply and lovingly. Jack moves his hands to the string that keeps Skylara's obi tied and unties it, removing her obi in the process. Jack slowly parts her yukata and slips it off of her, letting it hit the floor. Skylara then turns away from Jack and lifts up her arms. As if on cue, Jack reaches for Skylara's undershirt and lifts it up, pulling it up over her head and tossing it over to the vanity. Skylara lowers her arms and covers her breasts with them, turning to face Jack. Jack holds Skylara close to himself. "It's alright, don't be afraid, love." Jack says. Skylara hesitates a bit and then moves her arms away from her breasts, exposing them to him. Jack smiles. "You see, nothing to be afraid of." Says Jack. Jack then lifts Skylara up and carries her over to the bed, setting her down on it. Skylara watches Jack as he lifts up his shirt and removes it, tossing it to the floor. Jack has a six-pack and well-toned pecks. Jack then goes for his pants and undoes them, slipping them off and onto the floor. Skylara smiles and Jack gets on the bed, hovering over her. Jack then kisses Skylara and she returns it back to him. Jack soon kisses down lower, kissing Skylara's neck, moving down to her collar-bone and hesitates before going any lower. "You okay, love?" Jack asks. "Yes, Jack. It is alright, I trust you." Says Skylara. Jack nods and touches one of her breasts, rubbing it and squeezing it, lightly, he then takes the other one into his mouth, suckling it, earning a moan of pleasure from her. Jack then switches breasts, giving each one the same treatment the other one got. Jack then moves down lower and reaches for Skylara's tights and slips them off, along with her black panties. Jack removes his boxers shortly after and crawls up to Skylara, hovering over her. "Ready?" Jack asks. Skylara laces her fingers with his and he smiles. "Yes." Says Skylara. Jack positions himself at her entrance and pushes inside of her, nice and easy. Skylara wraps her other arm around Jack's shoulder, he then starts thrusting in and out of her at an easy and steady pace. Jack soon starts to pick up some speed, still keeping it at a relatively steady pace.

Jack then turns Skylara onto her front and starts mounting her, starting to get a bit rough with his thrusts. "Am I hurting you, Skylara?" Jack asks. "No, your fine. You can get a little rough if you want to." Says Skylara. "You sure?" Jack asks. "Yes, it is alright." Says Skylara. Jack starts thrusting a bit rougher in and out of her, picking up the pace quite a bit, making her moan quite a bit, in pleasure. Jack continuously thrusts into Skylara, getting faster and rougher, pounding himself inside of her. Jack does a few more pounding thrusts and releases inside of Skylara, lying on top of her, both of them breathing in sync with each other.

Jack pulls out and lies on his back on the bed. Skylara then turns over to her side, lying herself against Jack's side and placing her head on his chest. Jack smiles and wraps one of his arms around Skylara, holding her close to himself. Jack then reaches for the covers, placing them over himself and Skylara. "I love you, Jack." Says Skylara. She closes her eyes, drifting to sleep. Jack smiles. "I love you too, Skylara." Jack says. He then kisses Skylara's head, turns out the lights and soon drifts to sleep, too.

The next day. "You're sure this is where you were bein' held?" Asks Yusei. He, Skylara, Jack and Crow are standing on the rocky shore in broad daylight. "Yes, I'm sure! There was a cave, and... But, it's gone now. Even my duel runner tracks are gone! I just don't understand, what was that robot? Why was it running around and pretending to be me? How did it have my cards?" Jack asks. Crow turns to Skylara. "Do ya think maybe this robot has anything to do with that other duel-bot?" Asks Crow. "It is definitely all connected, I am sure of it. The duel-bots, Yliaster, the Grand Prix, the pieces are there. Now, it is up to us to figure out how they all fit together." Skylara says.

As they stand there, they seem to be obliviously standing in the palm of a giant, gloved hand, with Jakob looming over them.


	21. Chapter 21

_Chapter 21: Mother Knows Best_

Zora pauses sweeping the walk outside the front of her building with a gusty sigh.

Yusei, Skylara, Jack, Crow, Bruno, Akiza, and the twins approach her. Skylara is holding Chibi Chibi in her arms, who's licking a lollipop. The rest of them are carrying a metal part or two, which perhaps indicates that they're on their way back from shopping or scrounging for duel runners. "Hey. What's wrong, Zora? You seem a bit upset." Crow asks. "Mind your business!" Says Zora. "You do seem a bit down." Yusei says. As usual, Zora smiles and simpers when speaking to him. Crow glares at Yusei, infuriated. "Ohh, Yusei, thank you for inquiring. The truth is I am down. At the town meeting it was decided that my beloved clock must be replaced." Says Zora. She turns and looks up at the clock on the front of the building, which has, for as long as they have known it, been stopped at 5:32 or so. "It has been broken for some time." Crow says. "Butt out, you punk!" Says Zora. Crow cringes. "Well, that is a shame." Skylara says. "It really is." Says Zora, melancholic. "Uhh, could someone tell me why Zora's picking on me here?" Crow asks. "Ohh, it's just that my youngest son Linden is coming to town." Says Zora. She suddenly goes into a rapid mood shift. "And he and I are fighting! So, I'm practicing!" Zora says, shouting in Crow's face. "Aw man, there's nothing quite like a mother's love!" Says Crow. The rest of the group laughs. Zora's mood lightens up when she notices Chibi Chibi, who's still licking at her lollipop. "Would you mind if I held her?" Zora asks. Skylara hands Chibi Chibi over to her, who takes her and holds her in her arms. "She's such a delightful child. I take it there's still no sign of her parents?" Asks Zora. "No, not yet." Skylara says. "Oh, such a shame. I don't understand how someone can lose such a sweet and innocent little girl like her." Says Zora. She places Chibi Chibi down on the ground. Chibi Chibi then runs over to Jack and Skylara. "Dada. Mama." Chibi Chibi says, cutely. She stops to stand before Jack and Skylara, and soon goes back to licking her lollipop.

Sometime later. The clock on Zora's building still reads 5:32.

Inside, work on Skylara and the guys' runners is well underway. Bruno's computer screen shows a series of bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts, lists of data, and runner schematics. He's sitting next to Yusei on a small folding stool, with the desktop computer monitor and keyboard propped up on a box, and the CPU right beside it. Yusei's sitting on his runner, and to his right, Skylara is sitting astride her runner, as well. Jack, to Skylara's right, is sitting on his runner, too. And Crow, on Bruno's left, is also on his runner. Akiza and the twins are watching from behind the test runner, to Jack's right. Chibi Chibi is playing with some building blocks on the floor, sitting between Jack and Skylara's runners. Bruno types a bit. "All righty. How does the balance look now, Yusei?" Asks Bruno. "Well..." Yusei says.

"Looks good to me."

"All right, then can ya fix up mine, next?" Asks Crow, addressing Bruno.

"Huh, what's to fix up? Your duel runner looks totally awesome as-is!"

"Thanks!" Crow says.

"And that goes double for Jack's duel ride!"

"Got that right! The master of faster maintains his machine at all times!" Says Jack.

"And it shows. The girl's runner is just as magnificent as she is herself. In fact, I'm super-impressed with all of you. You're even cooler than I thought you'd be! And the girl's even more pretty than I heard she was, words aren't enough to justify just how beautiful you are!"

"Such kind words. However, I just have one question. Who is the one saying them?" Skylara asks.

"Me!"

"Huh?" Asks Akiza, Leo and Luna. Everyone looks.

Standing in the wide-open garage doorway is a guy about the same age as most of them or a bit younger, in jeans, sneakers, a bright orange jacket, with rolled-up sleeves, over a bright green T-shirt, and that over a lavender, button-up shirt, with long, bushy blond hair under a bright red bandanna.

"Who are you?" The Signers, Leo and Bruno all ask. "Chibi?" Asks Chibi Chibi. She gets up and runs over to Skylara, reaching up to her. "Mama." Chibi Chibi says. Skylara looks down at her and picks her up, holding her in her arms.

"Who am I? C'mon, guys, we're practically family! Hehheh, 'who am I', they ask..."

"Whaddaya think?" Asks Crow, aside to Bruno. "Could be a spy, sent by one of the other duel teams." Bruno says, aside to Crow. "Or maybe he's even a duel-bot. You know, like a new, goofy kind of model." Says Jack.

The stranger sheepishly runs a hand through his bushy hair, confused. "I dunno what you're talking about, but, I do know I love what you've done with my room."

"Your room? How is this your room?" Yusei asks.

"Because I used to live here! Hi, I'm Zora's son Lyndon! She musta told you I was comin'! We-e-ell, here I am! Where should I put my stuff?"

"Wait, so he's staying with us?!" Asks Crow.

"Yeah, and I am so super stoked! We are gonna have the best time ever gettin' to know each other over this month!" Lyndon says.

"Over this month? So, that's why Zora's on bad terms with this kid, he's a freeloader. Oh well, Skylara and I already share a room. So, I'm sure Crow's got space in his room." Says Jack. "That seems reasonable." Skylara says. "Chibi." Says Chibi Chibi, as if in agreement. "Yup." Yusei says. "Done deal." Says Bruno. Crow whimpers, comically.

"Nah, that's not why we're fighting. Mom's mad because I wanna be a pro duelist." Lyndon says.

"I don't understand, why would she be mad about that?" Asks Yusei.

"'Cause, she's always wanted me to follow in my father's footsteps, and become a boring ol' clocksmith!" Lyndon says.

Flashback. "It all started when the town clock mysteriously, broke down one day." Says Lyndon, in voice-over. A younger Lyndon is up in the small room that houses the clock gears, leaning over the rail to see them. "My mom insisted that I go up there and fix it, so that's exactly what I tried to do. But, it was tough going." Lyndon says, in voice-over.

Zora is waiting below, watching the clock on the front of the building with a few other townspeople, they hear a crunching noise and gasp, that doesn't sound good! "No matter what I tried, things stayed completely cuckoo." Says Lyndon, in voice-over.

Change flashback. Lyndon stands in the doorway, wearily.

Zora is leaning on the table with both arms, her back to him. "If you didn't waste all your time dueling and were more like your father, the town clock would be working!" Zora says, tensely and angrily.

Lyndon was just as angry at being scolded, arms tensed into fists at his sides, eyes squeezed shut. "Dueling is not a waste of time, it's the best! If you only saw my duel deck, maybe then you'd understand!" Says Lyndon.

Zora turns away from the picture frame on the table. "I have seen your duel deck!" Zora says, incensed. The picture behind her shows a family of three, Lyndon as a kid, maybe five years old, herself back when her hair was dark brown, smiling and laughing, and Lyndon's father Reginald, a cheerful-looking bearded man, lifting Lyndon on his shoulders to cheer to the bright blue sky. "And I do understand, I have since you were a boy!" Says Zora, incensed. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Lyndon is sitting on a chair telling his story, with everyone else standing around him. "Wow, so this fight's been goin' on for a while." Crow says. "Must be tough." Says Jack. Lyndon looks down sadly, fidgeting his shoulders. "Yeah. I miss being close with my mom." Lyndon says. "I'm sure she misses being close, too. Why not patch things up?" Asks Akiza. Lyndon perks up, immediately, and the goofy grin is back. "Funny you should say that, 'cause that's exactly the reason that I'm here! To make good with my mom, and get our lives back on track! And how do I plan to do that, y'ask? Well, I'll tell ya! I took a clock repair class not too long ago, and I plan to finally fix that old clock!" Lyndon says. "Well, then, you'd better get a move on. The town's planning to replace that ticker with a brand new one." Says Jack. "They're tearing my mom's clock down?" Lyndon asks. "I'm afraid so, Lyndon. Apparently, they just had a meeting, and it was decided." Says Skylara. "Well, that's that." Lyndon says. "It doesn't have to be." Says Crow. "Right. That is, unless you're really not serious 'bout making up with your mother and being close again." Akiza says. "Yeah." Says everyone else. "Chibi." Chibi Chibi says, smiling. Lyndon jumps up and grabs both of Akiza's hands, surprising her a bit. "You're right! This is my chance to be a big-time hero!" Says Lyndon. Skylara grabs him by the shoulder and pulls him back to the center of the group. "Easy, Lyndon. You still have a lot to prove." Skylara says. "If you're provin' anything ya better hurry, word is that they're tearing that clock down today." Says Crow. "Whoa, they move pretty fast! Well, I better go!" Lyndon says. He sprints for the door.

"Hold on! You're not goin' anywhere like that." Says Akiza.

"I'm not?" Lyndon asks.

"Not if you wanna impress your mom, you're not." Says Akiza. "It is time for a tune-up." Skylara says.

A little bit later. Lyndon is trying to tie his dark green tie, nervously. He's now wearing a snappy black business suit. "Okay, the rabbit goes in the hole an' around the tree, an'..." Says Lyndon.

Jack grabs him by the front of his suit, aggravated. "Enough already, that's your tenth try, I'll do it, gimme that!" Jack says. He pulls on the tie, strangling him.

Skylara and Akiza separate them. "Stop it." Says Skylara. "It's his first suit!" Akiza says, snapping at Jack. Skylara moves Jack off to the side, while Akiza gently ties the tie. "Here we go, how's that?" Asks Akiza.

Yusei and Crow have also been watching, elsewhere in the room. "Not too shabby." Yusei says.

"Psychic dueling and neckties, my two specialties." Says Akiza. She smiles at the necktie, cheerfully, and straightens up. "Mm. All set." Akiza says.

"Great, then take a deep breath." Says Crow.

Lyndon does, looking terrified.

"'Cause it's time to make up with your mom!" Crow says.

Lyndon's soon standing before the front of the building in his snazzy suit. "Ohh, I hope this works." Says Lyndon. He approaches the door.

Jack and Crow peek out from around the side. "It will! Go!" Crow says.

The front door opens, the bell attached rattles, and Zora looks up from a desk surrounded by many different makes of clocks. "Can I help you?" Asks Zora. She blinks, surprised, and gasps aloud, standing. "Ahh! Lyndon!" Zora says.

"Hey. What's happenin', Mom? Don't look so surprised. I, I toldja I was coming." Says Lyndon, nervously.

"Not all dressed up." Zora says.

"Aw, well, this is the new me. Look, Mom. I know we've had our share of troubles and all, but..." Says Lyndon, awkwardly.

"But what?" Zora asks.

"Heheh, whaddaya say we just put all that behind us, okay? That's right, Mom! Your little Lyndon's all grown up! Gone is the stubborn, back-talking kid you knew. I finally took your advice, I took a break from dueling and went to clock repair school! So, you can quit all your nagging!"

Meanwhile, the Signers, Leo and Bruno have been watching from the window. "Ooh! 'Nagging'?! Zora's not gonna like that!" Says Jack.

As he predicted, Zora picks up the wooden chair she was sitting in and raises it over her head. "You think me telling you to go to clock repair school was nagging?! How dare you!" Zora says.

Lyndon yells, runs out the door and ducks to the ground, the chair smashes on the sidewalk outside behind him.

Zora stands over Lyndon outside the shop, while the Signers watch from behind her. "You haven't changed since the day you broke the town clock!" Says Zora. "Huh?" Everyone else asks. "Wait, who broke the clock? You?!" Asks Crow. "Well... sort of..." Lyndon says.

Flashback. Back to Lyndon up in the clock tower, he pulls down on a heavy lever to the side several times, winding the big clock. "See, back when I was a kid, one of my chores was to make sure the clock was always wound. It was back-breaking work! So, one day I got to thinking, maybe with a few little adjustments, I could get the clock to run more efficiently! So, I started tinkering..." Says Lyndon, in voice-over. "Let's try this!" Lyndon says. He puts a blunt metal chisel to the center of the stopped gear in the center, and hammers once. It clatters and starts spinning. "Yeah! Huh?" Asks Lyndon. He notices another stopped gear. "And then tinkering more... and then tinkering more, and more, and more, until pretty soon I was tinkering everything in sight! Only, I wasn't really tinkering anymore, I was hammering! And hammering hard!" Lyndon says, in voice-over.

Zora and the townspeople listen from below, and exclaim as the clock makes a loud, ominous 'sproing' sound, and the doors that reveal the little figures in the front of it swing closed. "I couldn't help myself, I just kept banging and banging and banging until…!" Says Lyndon, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Until my beloved clock was banged into oblivion! You hammer-heavy harebrain!" Zora says. "But... I'm here to fix it, Mom..." Says Lyndon. "Lyndon, you're my son and I love you, but get outta here! You don't fix things, you put people in fixes! Now go!" Zora says. Lyndon looks about ready to break down in tears, wide-eyed and hurt. Then it gets covered up with anger. "Fine, then, I'm gone!" Says Lyndon. He stands up, and starts all but running away.

Crow starts to run a few steps after him. "Wait, Lyndon! Ugh, hold up!" Crow says.

Lyndon turns back.

"Don't go. Your mom's just upset, let's all just take a few minutes to cool down..." Says Crow.

"I don't wanna cool down! I just want outta here! She doesn't care about me, she just cares about her..." Lyndon says.

"Come on, you know that's just not true, Lyndon." Says Crow.

"All I know is that my mom doesn't care about my dreams! Not one bit!" Lyndon says.

"Huh?" Says Crow.

"That's why I want outta here! And for good!" Lyndon says.

"Okay, you wanna go and I want ya to stay! So, that leaves one option!" Says Crow.

"Huh? It does?" Lyndon asks.

"Yeah, and as a pro duelist in training, I have a hunch you'll like it! You and I are gonna duel, and if I win you give your mom another chance! On the other hand, if you win, you go on your way! I won't try and stop you, you can take off and never come back for all I care!" Says Crow.

Zora frowns.

"Fine." Lyndon says.

"Ah?" Asks Zora, surprised.

"You got yourself a deal. Now, let's get it on!" Lyndon says.

"Wow. Crow must really want Lyndon and Zora to patch things up, huh?" Asks Jack, aside to Skylara and Yusei. "Yeah." Yusei says, aside to him and Skylara. "However, the question is, will one duel actually do the trick?" Asks Skylara, aside to him and Jack.

Crow and Lyndon, who's back in his regular clothes, soon square off on the plaza sidewalk outside Zora's building.

"Let's do this. You go first." Crow says.

"Aw, with pleasure! Draw! Alrighty, I summon to the field Monster Clock!" Says Lyndon. Monster Clock has zero attack points and is a level 1 monster.

"But, that monster has zero attack points! What're you up to?" Crow asks.

"Nothing! I end my turn!" Says Lyndon.

"Then it's my move! And with it, I summon Blackwing-Fane the Steel Chain!" Crow says. Blackwing-Fane the Steel Chain has 500 attack points, 800 defense points and is a level 2 monster.

"Ohh, what a scary monster! Be careful, son!" Says Zora.

 _"Embarrassing."_ Lyndon thinks to himself.

"Lyndon, it sure sounded like your mom cared about ya right then, don'tcha think?" Crow asks.

"If she cared about me, she'd let me live the life I want!" Says Lyndon.

"Lyndon, I know you've been mad with your mom a long time. But when you're mad, you can't always see things clearly! But, maybe by the time our little duel is over, that won't be the case anymore. Speakin' of our duel, since Blackwing-Steel Chain is on my field, I can now summon this card from my hand, Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind!" Crow says. Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind has 1300 attack points and is a level 3 monster. "Go, Blackwing-Whirlwind! Attack!" Says Crow.

"Not so fast! I play Monster Clock's special ability! You've heard the old saying that 'time's on your side', right? Well, not this time around!" Lyndon says.

Monster Clock flicks out a big, sloppy pink tongue, and grabs Whirlwind like a frog catching a fly, sucks it into its gullet, and then pops its tongue back out again as a little spring, with Gale the Whirlwind as the little cuckoo bird on the end of it.

"My Blackwing?!" Asks Crow.

"Huhuh! Now, Monster Clock gains attack points equal to the attack points of the monster it just swallowed! And that means, my rough-and-tumble timepiece's attack points tick up higher than your Blackwing-Steel Chain's attack points!" Lyndon says.

"Doesn' matter! With Steel Chain's special ability, I can still wage a direct attack! So, let 'im have it, Blackwing!" Says Crow.

Lyndon takes the direct hit, to Zora's reaction of concern, and is down to 3500 lifepoints.

"It's your move, Lyndon! And everyone's watching!" Crow says.

Especially Zora.

"Everyone's watching, Lyndon! If you really wanna run away from home and never come back, ya better make this turn count!" Says Crow. His lifepoints stand at 4000.

Lyndon's at 3500. "You better believe I will! Watch n' learn! It's my draw! Alright, first I'm summoning Clock Knight Number Twelve to the field!" Lyndon says. Clock Knight Number Twelve has 1200 attack points and is a level 4 monster. "Then, from my hand, I activate the spell card 'Clockwork'! With this card, I'm allowed to summon out a monster whose level is lower than the Clock Knight on my field! So here goes, I'm summoning Clock Knight Number Three!" Says Lyndon. Clock Knight Number Three has 300 attack points and is a level 1 monster. "I know, I know, 'what's with the Clock Knights'. Well, they have an ability that lets me flip a coin, and if it lands on heads, then they'll gain twelve hundred attack points until the turn's end phase!" Lyndon says.

"Twelve hundred?" Asks Crow.

"But the best part is, that since there are two of them out at the same time, if either of my coin flips lands in a way that I don't want, I'm allowed to toss a do-over!" Lyndon says.

"A do-over?!" Asks Crow.

"So, he's got two chances to power up?" Jack asks. "Yeah, and two redo's if things don't go his way on the first go-around." Says Yusei. "I'm no mathematician, but I'm pretty sure that means the odds of those Clock Knights getting a whole lot stronger are good." Akiza says.

"Yep, but bad for Crow! Now, let's get flipping! Heads'll be the sun!" Says Lyndon. The two Clock Knights flip a coin. Lyndon does a little dance. "C'mon, sun! Let's go, sun!" Lyndon says. One of the Clock Knights catches the coin on its wrist, and reveals it… "Aww! It's the moon! No prob! Thanks to Clock Knight Number Three being out on the field, I'm allowed to just flip again!" Says Lyndon. Clock Knight Number Three flips a second coin. "C'mon, now, sun!" Lyndon says. The second coin flip is revealed. "Yeah! Sunny side up! Now, my Clock Knight Number Twelve's attack points increase by a bell-ringing twelve hundred!" Says Lyndon. That gives it 2400 attack points.

The spectators gasp.

"And next up, is Clock Knight Number Three! So, whaddaya say we get right to it and flip out!" Lyndon says.

"Rrghh!" Crow growls under his breath.

"Let's go, sun! Let's go, sun!" Says Lyndon. Coin flip, and it's the sun on the first flip. "Hoo-hooray! Day breaks again! And you know what that means, twelve hundred extra attack points!" Lyndon says. That gives Clock Knight Number Three 1500. "And now to put those attack points to use! Clock Knight Number Twelve, attack Steel Chain!" Says Lyndon.

Fane the Steel Chain is destroyed, and Crow's lifepoints plummet to 2100.

"I'm not done! Now, it's Clock Knight Number Three's turn to wage battle! And since there's no monsters on the field, guess he'll be battling you!" Lyndon says.

"Not quite! I'm summoning out, Blackwing-Ghibli the Searing Wind in defense mode! Ya see, if Ghibli's in my hand and I'm attacked directly, his ability lets 'im come to my aid!" Says Crow. Blackwing-Ghibli the Searing Wind has 1600 attack points and is a level 3 monster.

"Oh, no, clock-wing! Abort, abort! Even with your power up, you don't have enough points to win that battle! Let's just end this turn while we're ahead!" Lyndon says.

"You call this being ahead, Lyndon? You're losing! But, this duel should be the least of your concerns! I only hope that you can see what I see before it's too late! It's my draw now." Says Crow. He glances at his card. _"'Mirror Force', perfect. This destroys all monsters in attack mode!"_ Crow thinks to himself. "I place one card face down! And then, I'll summon out Blackwing-Blizzard the Far North!" Crow says. Blackwing-Blizzard the Far North has 1300 attack points and is a level 2 monster. "And when this card is successfully summoned to the field, I can bring out Blackwing-Fane the Steel Chain, from my graveyard, in defense mode!" Says Crow. Blackwing-Fane the Steel Chain has 500 attack points, 800 defense points, is a level 2 monster and is a dark type monster.

"Ahh!" Lyndon says.

"Now, level-two Blizzard the Far North, tune with level-two Fane the Steel Chain, and level-three Ghibli the Searing Wind! Tune and let your wings give flight to a new and even mightier bird of prey! The synchro monster, Blackwing Armor Master!" Says Crow. Blackwing Armor Master has 2500 attack points and is a level 7 monster.

"Ahh!" Lyndon says.

"And now, Armor Master, attack that Clock Knight Number Three! Flying Fist Strike!" Says Crow.

The attack lands, Lyndon's down to 1300 lifepoints. "Ahh! That's it, I've had enough." Lyndon says.

Both Zora and Crow listen silently, somber and serious.

"I give up. You win." Says Lyndon.

"You mean, you're quitting?!" Crow asks.

Lyndon waves an accusing finger, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Yes, I'm quitting, why go on! You have a super-tough monster and I'm practically out of lifepoints! There's no way that I can win!" Says Lyndon.

"Not with that attitude! Come on, Lyndon. Don't ya see? That's been your problem, all along. You only see the negative in your situation, like you only see the negative with your mom! But, there is a positive side, if you only took the time to look for it!" Crow says.

"But... I... did take the time!" Says Lyndon.

Flashback. Lyndon sweeps the sidewalk outside a store with an ornate clock on the front, then shines the side of an old, fancy clock, looking miserable. "I went to clock repair school like mom wanted!" Lyndon says, in voice-over.

A mean-looking man with a big mouth and a trim hairdo, probably the teacher, yells at Lyndon, impatiently showing him the inner gears of a pocket watch. He keeps yelling, as Lyndon meekly cowers before his wrath, two other students watch glibly in the background. "The teacher was crazy! The class conditions were awful! I was yelled at daily! But still..." Says Lyndon, in voice-over.

Change flashback. Lyndon is hunched over, his face inches from the desk, with a magnifying lens on one eye, working on delicate clock mechanisms. "This is fun!" Lyndon says. The gears tick, in perfect rhythm, quietly. Lyndon's desk lamp is the only light in the room, the other guys who share his room are fast asleep, as he keeps tinkering with clocks late into the night. "In fact, the only reason I was able to tolerate the day and night study sessions was... because... I loved it." Says Lyndon, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Did you just say you loved it, Lyndon? I think that we're finally gettin' somewhere, kid! And I think that we can get a lot further if we keep dueling." Crow says.

"Huh?" Asks Lyndon.

"So whaddaya say, Lyndon? Wanna keep going? If not for me, then for your mom. Whaddaya have to lose, huh? Come on, Lyndon! You can do this!" Crow says.

"Fine, if you say so. Here goes." Says Lyndon. He draws. "Ah? Oh." Lyndon says. He drew Time Wizard. "Whoa, I can't believe it! This card?" Asks Lyndon.

Flashback. As a little kid, Lyndon sits sobbing under a tree.

His dad sits down next to him. "What's wrong, son? Didja get in another fight with your mother?" Reginald asks. "Y-yeah. She asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up." Says young Lyndon. He looks up. "But, when I told her I wanted to be a duelist, she said no, that wasn't allowed!" Young Lyndon says. "I see. Well, son, take heart. Your mom loves you and I know for a fact that she only wants what's best for you." Says Reginald. He takes a card out of his pocket and hands it to young Lyndon, Time Wizard. "Here." Reginald says. "Ahh! Awesome, a Time Wizard! I always wanted one a' these!" Says young Lyndon. "I know, and now you've got one, son!" Reginald says. "Yeah! Thank you, dad!" Says young Lyndon. "You're welcome, son. Just try not to stay mad at your mom, okay? Because believe it or not, Lyndon. It was your mom who told me to get this card for you." Reginald says. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "I wonder how she knew? Ah, I can't give up. I gotta see this duel through to the end! So for my move, I play Time Wizard!" Says Lyndon.

Time Wizard is a level-two spellcaster-type monster, with five hundred attack points and four hundred defense points.

Crow looks a little startled at the appearance of Lyndon's new monster. "Looks like someone got wound up." Crow says. He grins.

"Well, let's see how much you like it, when I take you down and win this duel! And Time Wizard's gonna help me do just that!" Says Lyndon. Time Wizard's scepter has a small spinner on top. It's divided into six equal parts, two red crests, and four white skulls. "See, with Time Wizard, I spin the arrow. If it lands on red, all your monsters are destroyed! But, if it lands on white, all my monsters are destroyed, and I take damage equal to half the total amounts of their attack points!" Lyndon says.

"Lyndon's putting a whole lot on the line with this spin. However, if it goes his way, it might just be worth it." Says Skylara.

"All righty! Time Wizard, do your thing! Let's take this duel for a spin!" Lyndon says. Time Wizard's spinner begins to spin. Skull, Crest, Skull, Crest…

Series of flashbacks. When Lyndon was a baby, Reginald's hair was a dusty blonde, he laughs as he plays with baby Lyndon. "Whoa! Time Wizard's not just taking this duel for a spin, he's taking me for a spin- Down memory lane!" Says Lyndon, in voice-over. Lyndon as a baby was very rosy-cheeked and cute. Zora holds him in her arms, laughing, and Reginald plays with him.

Lyndon as a toddler was still very rosy-cheeked and adorable, with almost the same hairdo he has now. He leans over the desk, watching his dad tinker with a watch. "All those moments in the past, they're flooding back! I remember watching my dad work on clocks, and how much I loved it!" Lyndon says, in voice-over.

The happy family of three walks through the park, Reginald with young Lyndon on his shoulders, all three laugh, happily. "And how my mom was always there watching me." Says Lyndon, in voice-over.

Change flashback, with Reginald and young Lyndon sitting under a tree. "Your mom loves you, and I know for a fact that she only wants what's best for you." Reginald says. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. _"I get it!"_ Lyndon thinks to himself.

More spinning dial flashbacks. While little Lyndon leans over Reginald's desk and watches him work on clocks, Zora chuckles and sweeps the floor in the next room, watching them over her shoulder.

Zora and Reginald laugh when baby Lyndon grabs a lock of his mom's hair. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Now, to win this duel! Time Wizard, stop!" Says Lyndon. The spinning arrow starts to slow down, and stops… "It landed on red! You know what that means, Time Wizard destroys Armor Master! Go, Time Magic!" Lyndon says.

The little clock hand on Time Wizard's face spins faster and faster, creating a portal of shimmering multicolored lights above the duel. Armor Master looks up into it, trapped, and disintegrates into dry, brittle dust. It falls to the ground in a pile and blows away.

"And now that your field is clear, Crow! I'll have Monster Clock and Clock Knight Number Twelve attack you directly!" Says Lyndon.

"Whoa! If this hits, Crow is done-for!" Leo says.

"Monster Clock and Clock Knight Number Twelve, attack Crow directly!" Says Lyndon.

 _"Tha-a-at's right, L_ _y_ _nd_ _o_ _n!_ _C_ _ome and get me! Finish this! I knew that you could do it."_ Crow thinks to himself.

"Crow's gonna lose!" Yusei says. "Yes, just like he planned." Says Skylara.

Crow's 'Mirror Force' remains face down, he doesn't activate it. Crow takes the attacks, first from Monster Clock, then from Clock Knight Number Twelve. "Rrrrghh!" Crow growls under his breath. Crow's lifepoints fall to zero. He's lost.

There is a long silence.

Lyndon catches his breath.

"No way!" Leo says. "Lyndon won!" Says Luna.

Crow recovers his strength and straightens up. "Congratulations, Lyndon. You beat me fair and square. Guess you can leave as ya please now." Crow says.

"Huh?" Asks Lyndon.

"Go on, now! That's what ya want! So, get goin' already!" Crow says.

"No, I-I was wrong. This is where I belong!" Says Lyndon.

Zora gasps.

Crow grins.

"Ya see, I've finally realized something. Something I should've realized long ago. Only problem was, I was too stubborn to. But now, thanks to this duel, it's all become so clear! I thought I wanted to be a duelist, but the truth is, my favorite part about dueling is when I get to use monsters and spells that have clocks in them! Clocks like the ones my dad used to always fix." Lyndon says.

The spectators are listening silently, surprised.

"And my mom knew it! She saw my deck when I was a kid. She knew what I was before I did. I... was a clock smith." Says Lyndon.

Zora walks over to stand next to Crow.

Lyndon is in tears. "That's why she was always pushing me to learn the trade! Because she knew it would make me happy! But, the more she pushed, the more I pushed back! Well, I'm done pushing! I'm gonna fix the town clock, Mom!" Lyndon says.

Zora's crying, too. "Son...!" Says Zora.

"'Cause fixing clocks is what I love!" Lyndon says. He runs past Zora and Crow into the former's building.

Zora watches him go. "Son!" Says Zora.

Yusei and the others join Crow. "Way to go, pal, but how did you know that dueling Lyndon would solve this?" Yusei asks. "Yeah, how, Crow?" Asks Jack. "I know how. Crow peeked at Lyndon's deck." Zora says. "Yeah. When he first got here, I saw all the clock cards. And, well, I just had a hunch." Says Crow.

Sometime later. The sun is setting over New Domino when the hands of the clock whir around to show 6:00 and the bell within begins to toll.

The twins, standing in front of the building, turn with surprise. "Huh?" Asks both Leo and Luna. The front of the clock opens up, and the twins begin to laugh and cheer, watching a little wooden band swivel around outside the clock as it chimes the hour. "I-it's working!" Leo says. "Look, everyone!" Says both Leo and Luna.

Yusei, Skylara, who's holding Chibi Chibi in her arms, Jack, Crow, Bruno, Akiza and Zora run over and join them. "Oh wow, that's awesome!" Bruno says. "My...! He actually did it!" Says Zora. "Yeah, I'll say!" Crow says.

Lyndon walks out to meet them from the side of the building. "So... you like?" Asks Lyndon, nervously.

Zora runs to him, arms outstretched. "Oh, Lyndon! It's beautiful!" Zora says. "Thanks, Mom!" Says Lyndon. They hug. "You've made me so proud!" Zora says, crying. "Do ya mean it?" Asks Lyndon. "Oh, of course I mean it, Lyndon! I'm so glad you're back." Zora says. They hug again.

Yusei puts one of his hands on Crow's shoulder, and they share a smile. Yusei nods in silent praise of what Crow did for them. "Uncle... Crow." Says Chibi Chibi, cutely. Crow looks over at her, as she lies in Skylara's arms, surprised by what she just called him. Chibi Chibi giggles, cutely, and reaches her hands towards Crow. "You actually want to come to me?" Crow asks. Chibi Chibi continues to reach for him, all smiles and giggles. "Um, okay." Says Crow. Skylara hands Chibi Chibi over to him, who takes her and holds her in his arms. "Well, this is the first." Crow says. Chibi Chibi reaches up to play with his headband, pulling at it and messing up his hair.

On the clock above, over the heads of the little marching band, sits a wooden family of three around a little wooden table.


	22. Chapter 22

_Chapter 22: Duelist For Hire_

The landscape is straight out of the American West, all rocky, dusty desert and bright blue sky.

A lone prairie dog surveys the scene, then takes cover, as Skylara roars by on her shiny, black duel runner, raising a cloud of dust behind her. Skylara zooms across the flat, open prairie, the only person in sight. _"Well, this looks like the place."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

She's soon standing atop a cliff, overlooking a small town from a distance. The buildings are arranged in rows, leaving a central street that goes straight through town. _"I hope you know what you are doing, Skylara. After all, from the looks of things here, it doesn't seem very hospitable."_ Skylara thinks to herself. She looks down the face of the steep cliff.

Below is a field of local-style duel disks attached to sharp spikes stuck in the ground, a duelists' graveyard.

 _"However, maybe that is why this Barb person wrote me that letter. I only wish they were more specific as to why they needed my help."_ Skylara thinks to himself.

"Stop!"

"Huh?" Skylara asks.

Action below.

Skylara kneels down to one knee and watches, unobserved.

Three men, wearing metal collars around their necks and identical slate blue jumpsuits, run toward the cliff, gasping for breath, running for all they're worth.

They're being chased by two more men, with red bandannas around their necks. "Stop right there, ya disobedient worms!"

The three guys in jumpsuits reach the cliff wall and turn back, they have nowhere left to run.

As the two bandannas approach, the jumpsuits start attempting to climb the sheer face of the cliff and fail, miserably, sliding back down.

The bandannas stand there, confidently, unconcerned, each wearing a duel disk. They each draw a card.

The guys in jumpsuits begin to look truly terrified, each one's hand going to his metal collar. One of them takes something out of his pocket, steels himself and throws it with all his might toward the top of the cliff.

The small blue pendant lands on the ground near Skylara, who glances at it and then returns her attention to the scene below.

The two bandannas advance on the three jumpsuits. "Big mistake, trying to escape. Eheheheheheheh." The bandanna with a tracking dye triangle below each eye brandishes his card, relishing the jumpsuits' fear. "Wait! No, please!" "Ha!" Triangles plays his card and all three jumpsuits cry out, in pain, falling to their knees on the hard ground.

"What is going on down there?" Asks Skylara.

The two bandannas look up, surprised, and see her standing at the top of the cliff. "Huh?" The other bandanna, whose tracking dye is a small wedge shape on his left cheek, replies, as they walk over to the three men in jumpsuits, all three now prostrated on the ground. "Mind your business! These workers made a run for it and now we're gonna make 'em pay!" He picks up two of the guys by the back of their jumpsuits and his partner grabs the third.

"And just who are you to make them?" Skylara asks.

Triangles retorts. "You ask an awful lot of questions, sweetheart! From the looks of it, I'd say you were a duelist! So, why not just stick to what you know! If you're any good, you might actually make a few bucks here! If you're not, then you'll be joinin' these three. Heheheheheheheh!" They drag the three jumpsuited men away.

Skylara watches, teeth clenched, and then glances over at the pendant one of the jump-suited men threw over the cliff. It sits glittering on the ground, a teardrop-shaped blue stone on a thin leather cord, with a design painted or etched on it composed of several triangles. Skylara picks it up, holds it in her hand, closes her palm and looks out at the rough little town below, the breeze stirring through her hair. _"I don't know what is going on here. However, if I'm going to get to the bottom of it, I'm going to need to head into town and make sure everyone knows I'm here."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

The wooden archway that marks the town entrance is stenciled with a cow-skull design in worn paint or metal. To either side is simple wooden fences.

Skylara rides toward town on her runner. _"I can't get that letter out of my head. What did it mean? Who was this mysterious 'Barb' talking about?"_ Skylara thinks to herself. She rides into town and through the packed-dust street. _"'Dear Skylara. I'm writing you because I've heard about your connection with him.'"_ Skylara thinks to herself. A tumbleweed rolls past, as she glances up at the mostly empty windows on either side of the street. A couple nonplussed or frightened bystanders peer down at her. _"'I want you to take him away from Crash Town. If things don't change then he'll surely meet his doom here. I'm counting on you and only you. Barb.'"_ Skylara thinks to herself. She slows to a halt at the center of town, where the main street meets the biggest cross street. Skylara climbs off of her runner and looks around. _"Well, I wonder where this 'Barb' person is."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

Then she hears some rather unpleasant-sounding laughter. "Hey, sweetheart! You ain't from around here, is ya!" The three men approaching Skylara look like tough trouble, all three wearing red bandannas around their necks, brown jacket or vests, gunslinger-style belts and local-style duel disks. On the far right is a bulky tank of a guy, only one greasy tuft of black hair short of bald, whose marks of facial dye, vertically across both eyes and down from his lower lip, gives the appearance of clown paint. Middle is shortest and wiriest of the three, with unnaturally pointy brownish hair and a thin, angular face, the half-circular tracking dye below his eyes looks like a permanent sign of not enough rest and the dye down the bridge of his nose turns it into a sharp beak. Far left's hair is as stiff as a sawn pillar of wood and the shirt under his vest is forest green, his bare arms bulge with muscles and he wears fingerless black gauntlets. His dye forms a chevron on his brow and he has a vertical rectangle on each cheek, the visual effect is one of perpetual surprise.

Skylara doesn't turn to face them.

"Naw, she ain't. So, she needs a proper welcome." "That's right, prepare to duel!"

"No thank you. I generally make it a rule not to duel amateurs." Says Skylara, coolly.

"Say what?" "We got a wise gal here!" The three thugs in red bandannas spread out to surround Skylara, activating their duel disks. "This is our town, missy, and nobody, but nobody talks to us that way! You got it?!"

Skylara looks straight ahead, undaunted. "Is that so?" Skylara asks, sarcastically.

"Sure is. So, shuffle up your cards and get ready to throw down!" "Hardcore. 'Cause a duel here ain't like any kinda duel you've ever had before!"

Skylara activates her duel disk.

"Stop!" A woman appears from the doorway of a nearby store, carrying a bouquet of flowers. She wears her lustrous dark brunette hair loose to her shoulders, though one stray wisp stays in her face between her shrewd brown eyes. Her top is black, with bare shoulders and midriff, and her long skirt is red, fit to her hips at the top and slightly ruffly at the bottom. She's tough, as befits this town, but friendly. "There will be a time to duel. But, that time is not now. So, lay off!"

The three thugs are off-balanced.

She approaches the closest one and shoves her flowers into his arms. "Besides, you're supposed to welcome a guest with flowers, not threats." She walks over to stand with Skylara, smiling kindly. "And she is a guest, because she was invited by me." "I was?" Asks Skylara. "Yes, I'm Barb. I'm the one who wrote you!" "Hm?" Skylara asks.

Late afternoon, on a cliff overlooking Crash Town. Skylara finishes hiding her runner in a bush and walks downhill to join Barb at the edge of the cliff. "So, your Barb? The one who wrote me the letter about saving someone I know?" Asks Skylara. "Yes." Barb says. She picks up a rock that's crushing a dandelion growing out of the cliff beside herself. "He needs you. And I'm only trying to help." Says Barb. "Who is he? And just what does he need saving from?" Skylara asks. "You'll see from what in just a moment, Skylara. For as the sun sets." Says Barb.

The sun above Crash Town is sinking lower in the sky, turning breathtaking shades of orange.

Barb stands up. "The dangers in this town begin to rise. Watch, it won't be long now." Barb says.

As the sun sets, a fleet of about ten black duel runners and a few jeeps rolls into town from the south, through the main street, in the shadows of the buildings.

Another identical fleet is rolling in from the north.

They meet in the center, each staying out of the sunlight burning through the central crossroads.

The rider at the front of the south-side group dismounts first.

The north-side-group leader follows suit.

Barb points, explaining the scene for Skylara's benefit. "The group wearing the red scarves..." Says Barb.

As they look closer, they see each rider in the north-side group wears a red bandanna around his neck, just like the ones they've been seeing around town. "... is known as the Malcolm Crew. That fella with the creepy grin out front is their leader..." Barb says, in voice-over. The rider at the front who dismounted takes off his hat, his face is now clearly visible. He's mostly bald though still fairly middle-aged, with two dyed marks curving all the way from his eyebrows to his receding hairline and a third over the cleft of his chin.

Barb's expression is intense. "Malcolm." Says Barb.

The opposing leader, who approached from the south, takes off his helmet next. "The group facing them is the Radley Bunch. That rascally-looking man at the head of their pack is Radley, their leader." Barb says, in voice-over. Radley bears no dye on his very pale face. His long black hair is sleek and oily. He smiles with an air of unpleasant hauteur.

"Looks like they are squaring off, but why?" Asks Skylara. "You'll see why soon enough. Just keep watching." Barb says.

The blinding, brilliant sunset presides over the confrontation, drawing battle lines in the streets with its deep shadows. "Well let's get to it, gentlemen! Time to show those Radley Bunch babies, why we were head and shoulders above 'em!" Says Malcolm.

A large man jumps down from one of his jeeps and walks to the head of the group. A marked line creates a curving band across his bald head, all the way around his face to curve up to meet his lower lip. He cracks his thick neck. "All right, which of you punks do I get the pleasure of destroyin' in a duel!" Malcolm's contender strides into the arena formed by the light of the sunset.

"Huh. The rumors about you are true, Giant! You're as big as a dino! And I'm sure you have an itty-bitty pea-sized brain to match, as well." Radley says. His cohorts snicker.

Giant growls.

"And now to meet your foe!" Says Radley.

Giant glances to the west, nervously, as notes from a harmonica can be heard. The figure at the end of the street, silhouetted in the dying sun, continues to play a simple, slightly mournful tune, as he walks toward the center of town.

Skylara leans forward, shocked. "Oh!" Skylara says. She begins to feel discomfort in her left arm, a familiar burning feeling that she's had before. Skylara favors it with her right hand, slightly.

The mystery contender's long black coat billows above the dusty street. His bleach-pale hair, long and untrimmed, fans at his back. A local-style duel disk is holstered at his hip. He closes his eyes, serenely intent on his music, and a line of tracking dye that traces down the right side of his pale cheek from his hairline to his jaw. Under his coat, he wears a faded gray shirt. He now stands opposite Giant, pauses a moment, then turns to face him, lowering the harmonica from his lips to gaze, sullenly, jadedly, at his opponent through bleach-white bangs. It is unmistakably.

"Is that Kalin?!" Asks Skylara. "The law of the land is that duels can only be waged during dusk. It's oddly appropriate, too. Because those that lose, vanish just as the sun does." Barb says. "What do you mean 'vanish'? Are you saying that Kalin's in some kind of danger?" Asks Skylara. "Most definitely. That's why I wrote you." Barb says. They gaze out at the little town below the reddening sun. "But for now, all we can do is watch. Because the duel's about to start." Says Barb.

The huge, smoldering sun is sinking closer to the horizon. Bystanders throw open windows and walk out to stand in the street through wooden gates and doorways.

A horse-drawn wagon carrying a big black coffin on the back rolls into town from the east, driven by a short, nasty-looking little man whose face is nothing but huge bags of loose skin under beady little black glasses and a tall tough guy, both dressed all in black. They park at the third side to the square formed by the crossroads, between the two duelists.

A little boy pushes through a forest of legs to the front of the crowd, and, eyes shining with adoration, looks up at Kalin, who doesn't notice. "Whoa!"

Skylara and Barb watch from the cliff, silent and somber.

The ruthless sun seems to fill the whole sky above the empty street that leads west, as Giant squares off against Kalin.

Bystanders watch from doorways and Malcolm chuckles, malevolently.

More townspeople watch from Radley's side of the street, as he stands and waits, arms folded, and snickers, confident in his own competitor.

The sun sinks lower.

The men driving the cart with the coffin watch, intently.

One townsperson waits with a pad of paper and pen, nervously.

The face of the little boy in the crowd behind Kalin is full of anxious hope.

Giant glances toward the sun and his hand edges toward the holster on his belt.

Kalin, eyes flat and listless, doesn't move a single muscle. Kalin's arm hangs at his side, motionless.

The two competitors stand ready.

Just as the sun touches the horizon, the crowd shouts as one. "Draw!"

Giant pulls out his local-style gun-shaped duel disk.

Kalin, in one smooth motion, draws with his right from his right hip, places the gun sideways on his left wrist, it unfolds into a small, compact duel disk, and then he draws his first five cards. Kalin never once glanced down.

Giant was just reaching for the deck on his wrist.

Both start with 4000 lifepoints.

"Too slow, Giant. My move." Kalin says, his voice low and hoarse.

The wind whips up west-east, assailing the impending duel with dust. A tumbleweed rolls through the center of the field.

"Here we go." Says Skylara.

Showdown in a small, dusty town at sundown. A tumbleweed rolls through the center of the dueling field.

Skylara watches, intently.

"Let's get down to business." Kalin says. He glances at his card and switches it with one from his hand. "For my first move, I summon Infernity Mirage." Says Kalin. Infernity Mirage has 0 attack points and is a level 1 monster. "Then, I'll place one card face down and end my turn." Kalin says.

"What is Kalin doing here? Why is he dueling for these people?" Asks Skylara. "I'll tell you why." Barb says. "Hm?" Asks Skylara. "He came to this town to punish himself for something he did in the past. I'm not sure what, but it must've been bad." Barb says. "But, why here?" Asks Skylara. "Because of the mountain." Barb says. She points to their right, at the tall mountain to the northeast whose tip reflects the dying sun. "You see, deep inside that treacherous peak, is a mineral called Dyne. Dyne is used in the construction of duel runners." Says Barb.

As she speaks, a series of images. Dyne looks a lot like gold, but might be glowing. It glitters in the cracks in the rocks, and there's a lot of it in this mountain.

Next in sepia, a big train of canvas-covered vehicles and trucks, and a whole town being constructed at once with wooden frames. "When it was discovered, all sorts of people rushed here to mine this valuable mineral and make their fortune. When all the dust settled, only Malcolm and Radley were the ones left standing. They muscled all the other miners into working for them. But, they still wanted more manpower." Barb says, in voice-over.

A bar or saloon scene in sepia, several acts of coercion are in progress, ranging from friendly 'conversations' to grabbing people by the neck. The vision ends.

Back to the present. "So now, instead of fighting for new labor, they duel to decide who gets it." Says Barb. "That is crazy." Skylara says.

Sepia-tone vision. An anonymous duelist and his Ancient Gear Soldier face off against another duelist and his monster. "That's business-as-usual around here. If you duel well, you can make a lot of money. After all, Radley and Malcolm pay handsomely for someone who can win." Says Barb, in voice-over.

Scroll through a series of portraits of tough-faced duelists of all kinds who have been and gone. "A lot of winners have come here for just that reason. But if you lose, it's off to the mountain for you." Barb says, in voice-over. The vision ends.

Back to the present. Barb watches the duel below, deadly serious. Skylara returns her attention to it, as well. "Kalin knows that. It's why he's here." Says Barb.

"It's my turn! And I'm summoning Illegal Keeper!" Giant says. Illegal Keeper has 1300 attack points and is a level 3 monster. _"What have we here?_ _'_ _Card Destruction_ _'_ _! If I play this, we'll both have to discard our hands and re-draw the same number of cards we've just got rid of! But since Illegal Keeper's on the field, whenever Kalin draws cards at a time other than the draw phase, those cards gotta be returned to the deck and one thousand points of damage is dealt!"_ Giant thinks to himself.

"I activate the spell card, 'Card Destruction'! And it'll lead to your destruction. Now, get rid a' your cards and re-draw!" Says Giant.

"I don't think so. I play the trap, 'Full Salvo'. Now, I send all the cards in my hand to the graveyard, and you take two hundred points of damage for each and every one of them. Guess this round's destruction belongs to you." Kalin says.

His trap turns into four spheres of light that slam into Giant's chest. Giant's lifepoints decrease to 3200. Giant discards and redraws his own hand.

"Oh, and in case you were wondering, your spell doesn't affect me. After all, I'm cardless." Says Kalin. Indeed, the pale hand close to his chest is empty, he isn't holding a single card.

"Cardless, that is when Kalin is at his best!" Skylara says.

"Now, Giant. Since I am without cards, I'm allowed to release Infernity Mirage, and in exchange, summon two Infernity monsters from my graveyard. So rise, Infernity Archfiend and Infernity Destroyer!" Says Kalin. Infernity Archfiend has 1800 attack points and is a level 4 monster. Infernity Destroyer has 2300 attack points and is a level 6 monster.

"Whoa! I guess, I won't be waging an attack this round. I end my turn." Giant says.

"It's my move. And I'll play, the spell 'Infernity Burst'. Now, for every Infernity monster on my field, you take eight hundred points of damage." Says Kalin.

"Aaagh!" Giant's already down to 1600 lifepoints.

"And next, I'll have Infernity Destroyer attack Illegal Keeper!" Kalin says.

It does and the Giant's down to 600 lifepoints.

Kalin's dull, light tan eyes are slits, his face expressionless. "And since my Destroyer won that battle while I had no cards in my hand, you now take sixteen-hundred points of damage." Says Kalin.

The Giant's lifepoints decrease to zero.

"No fair! I barely had one turn!" Giant says. Then he hears the horses whinny.

The carriage from the east gallops forward, as the big tough guy stands and swings a lasso.

Giant runs and the cart-drivers lasso him, drag him back to them and into the big black coffin. "No! Stop! Don't! Please!" Says Giant. The rope is piled on his chest and the lid is slammed shut. The short creepy guy with the reins smacks them and the dark carriage gallops off toward the base of the mountain into the growing shadows.

Kalin deactivates his duel disk and re-holsters it.

A cheer goes up from the Radley Bunch.

Kalin stands, silently.

The very last vestiges of the sunset draw a line of contrast on the horizon, but the landscape is mostly dark. Skylara and Barb have witnessed the whole scene. "Well, that's that. The Giant will now be shipped off to the mountain and that's where he'll stay for the rest of his life, mining Dyne morning, noon, and night, all under the watchful eye of Radley's men." Barb says. "Oh!" Says Skylara.

Flashback. Skylara recalls the blue-jumpsuited men she witnessed running from Malcolm's men when she first arrived. The flashback ends.

 _"So, that_ _i_ _s what those three were trying to escape from, the mines. They must have been duelists who had lost!"_ Skylara thinks to herself. She looks down at Kalin.

Kalin's expression is one of contemptuous apathy, his long hair and the fading sun cast heavy shadows on his face.

"However, if Kalin is trying to punish himself, why wouldn't he just lose on purpose?" Skylara asks. "I don't know. There are a lot of questions right now that I simply have no answers for. Hopefully, we can find some and soon." Says Barb. "I agree." Skylara says. Together, they look out at the dark landscape and the town beyond. The last traces of the sun are nearly gone.

"Well done, Kalin. That Giant couldn't duel worth a lick, but I'm sure he'll make a solid worker." Says Radley. He puts a hand on Kalin's shoulder, proudly. "How many wins is that? Something like fifty in a row?" Radley asks.

"Curse you, Radley! You rat! I'll beat you and that lucky duelist a' yours next time for sure!" Says Malcolm.

"Yeah, I've heard that before! Huhuhuhuhuhuh!" Radley says. He turns to leave and Kalin follows, silently.

"Rrgh! Let's roll!" Says Malcolm.

And the two opposing factions blaze out of town the way they entered it, each in a flock of vehicles.

Kalin rides at the back of the Radley Bunch, faceless in a helmet, when he hears.

"Kalin!" Skylara says.

Radley glances back.

Kalin halts and is left behind by the rest of the pack.

Skylara is standing on the plain a distance behind. "It is me!" Says Skylara.

Kalin, glancing back out of the corner of his eye, looks shocked beyond words, even a bit afraid.

"It is Skylara. Let's talk."

There they stand, two small, silhouetted figures in the slim band of orange separating earth and sky, an expanse of dark desert between them.

Kalin hesitates, turns away and rides away without looking back.

"No, Kalin! Wait, I'm here to help!" Skylara says.

Barb joins her. "Let 'im go. I know a better way to help." Says Barb. They watch Kalin ride away, hair and coat billowing, raising mounds of dust behind him. "I just hope you're up for it!" Barb says.

Malcolm's headquarters is the nicest-looking place of Crash Town, an enclosed complex that looks vaguely Spanish in architecture, white stucco, dull red roofs. Electric lighting gives the whole place a warm sort of glow. A few plants populate this locale, including a palm tree out front. Clearly, if you work for Malcolm you get a warm bed, plenty of food and water, and a roof over your head in this harsh, forbidding desert. "Curses! That rat Radley always wins with that duelist of his. And the more that he wins, the more he earns!" Says Malcolm. His henchmen, huddled around him, take a few steps back. They're standing in the courtyard, behind its front facade, the building is built in a three-sided rectangle around this central space, in which there's an actual lawn and a fountain. "If only my baby brother Lawton was hanging his hat in town right now, he would take that creep Kalin, rraaaghhh! And duel him down into the dirt!" Malcolm says.

"Hey." Says Skylara.

"Who're you?" Malcolm asks. "Hey, it's that girl!" "From back in town!"

Skylara is standing in the doorway, wearing her black cloak, over her usual clothes, only the hood stays down this time instead of over her head. Skylara throws it open, back over her shoulders and reveals that she's wearing a holstered, local-style gun/duel disk. "That is correct and I'm here for some work." Says Skylara.

"A duelist, huh? Well, bring it awn!" The three thugs Skylara encountered in town run to square off against her at a dueling distance.

Malcolm is watching from behind them, near the fountain. "Hahahahaha! Not a bad idea. If you want us to hire you, you'll hafta prove you got skills worth payin' for. And prove it in a duel." Malcolm says.

Skylara smiles, cunningly, her emerald green eyes glittering. "It would be my pleasure. Let's do this." Says Skylara.

The three thugs snicker and activate their gun-style duel disks, each drawing five cards.

Skylara activates her own and draws her opening hand, swiftly. "Get your game on, little boys!" Skylara says.

All four start with 4000 lifepoints apiece.

"If you don't mind, I shall move first. I summon the tuner monster Chop Chop in defense mode." Says Skylara. Chop Chop has 0 defense points, is a level 1 monster and is a dark type monster. "I shall then end my turn with a face down." Skylara says.

"I guess I'm up! And Fuse Ray Blaster's the monster I'll be playin'!" Fuse Ray Blaster has 1600 attack points, 800 defense points and is a level 4 monster. Fuse Ray Blaster is a toy cowboy figure, with a great big sombrero and a rifle. "Lucky for you, since it's three-on-one, I'm not allowed to attack! Not officially!"

"My turn now! Heh! And I'm summoning out another Fuse Ray Blaster! Blast away!"

A laser blast slams into Skylara's chest. "Uggh!"

"Aww, I'm awfully sorry there, sweetheart. Didn'tcha know, that when there's one Ray Blaster out and a second is summoned, you take eight hundred points of damage?"

Skylara's lifepoints decrease to 3200.

"That's it for me."

"Then it's my move! Heh! And I summon another Fuse Ray Blaster! Blast away!"

Skylara gets two more laser beams to the chest. Skylara's already down to 1600 lifepoints.

Malcolm rubs his chin, grinning, maliciously. "Heheheheh."

"Ah end mah turn!"

"Are you ready to give up?"

"Ya can't win!"

Each of them has two more Fuse Ray Blasters in his hand.

To everyone's surprise, Skylara straightens up and dusts herself off, calmly.

"Huh?"

Skylara draws. "I shall win." Says Skylara.

Flashback. Skylara and Barb stand alone on the plains outside town, the sky nearly dark. "You have to beat Malcolm's stooges. Only then will Malcolm trust you enough to let you duel for his crew. Then if you can beat Kalin, we'll make our move. Before they drag him off to work forever in those mountains, we'll take him." Barb says. Skylara's face, shadowed by the last of the sunset, was resolute. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "It is my move. First, I shall send one monster card in my hand to the grave, which allows me to summon the tuner monster Ghost Roaster from my hand." Says Skylara. Ghost Roaster has 700 attack points, is a level 5 monster and is a dark type monster. "And now, since a tuner monster is on my field. I can summon Wham-Shell from the graveyard." Skylara says. Wham-Shell has 800 attack points, is a level 2 monster and is a water type monster. "However, I am not done yet. Next, I shall tune level-five Ghost Roaster with level-two Wham-Shell to create a creature that can really give me a boost. I synchro-summon, Sunburn." Says Skylara. Sunburn has 2800 attack points, is a level 7 monster and is a fire type monster. "And next, I shall bring out Hot Dog." Skylara says. Hot Dog has 400 attack points, is a level 3 monster and is a fire type monster. "However, he won't be around for long because I'm now going to tune level-one Chop Chop with him, to create another synchro monster. How about giving me a hand, Fright Rider!" Says Skylara. Fright Rider has 1800 attack points, 1200 defense points, is a level 4 monster and is a dark type monster.

Once per turn, you can equip Fright Rider onto a synchro monster and increase the equipped monster's attack points by one thousand.

"And now, since Chop Chop was sent to the grave, his effect activates and your monster switches to defense mode. Next, I use Fright Rider's ability and with it, I can add a little more muscle to my Sunburn's attack points." Skylara says. Sunburn is now 3800 attack points stronger.

"Oh, no! Thirty-eight hundred?!"

"Oh yes, and I'm not done yet because I'm also equipping him with 'Galaxy Barrage'. And since I activated a spell card this turn, Sunburn gains a thousand attack points for this round's attack!" Says Skylara. Sunburn now has 4800 attack points. "Which means, you three are in some serious trouble." Skylara says.

The three Red Thugs stare down her monster, they aren't about to argue with that.

"Go, Sunburn! Attack with Phoenix Dash!" Says Skylara.

Sunburn socks the second red thug's Ray Blaster and his lifepoints fall straight from 4000 to 0. He is knocked off of his feet.

Sunburn turns next to the third red thug, who starts to look nervous. His monster switches back to attack mode. Sunburn pummels it next and two out of three thugs are down, with 0 lifepoints remaining.

"How?!"

"It is simple. See, when Sunburn destroys a monster, he can then switch another monster into attack mode and then strike again. And, since an equipped monster destroyed a monster in battle, Fright Rider's ability deals damage equal to Fuse Ray Blaster's attack points. But there is more, since 'Galaxy Barrage' is in play, half of your Ray Blaster's attack points are dealt, erasing the rest of your lifepoints." Skylara says.

The first red thug is edging backwards.

"Now, to deal with you. I activate the trap 'Synchro Black Hole'! With this, since my synchro monster successfully destroyed a monster in battle, he's allowed to battle again this turn." Says Skylara.

"What?! No way!" Malcolm says.

"Go, Infinite Flame! And now the effects of Fright Rider and 'Galaxy Barrage' activate!" Says Skylara.

And they knock him back, flip him over and faceplant him in the grass. "Yaaaaa-ooowhh! Ughh." And his lifepoints read zero, too.

Skylara deactivates her local-style duel disk, calmly, twirls the gun several times, expertly, and re-holsters it.

Malcolm's three thugs are still lying in the grass or on the patio moaning.

Malcolm is amazed. "She just beat three of my men. And all in just one single turn! This girl is really something! Hahahaha!" Malcolm says. He runs toward Skylara, who has closed her cloak. Malcolm rubs his hands together. "I like how ya duel, sweetheart. Think you can do that again, against Kalin?" Asks Malcolm. "I was hoping that you would ask that, because I'm your girl." Skylara says.


	23. Chapter 23

_Chapter 23: Showdown At Sundown: Part 1_

At a bar or cantina somewhere with neon signs, out of town, several identical black duel runners are parked outside.

Inside, Radley raises a frothy white beverage in a toast. "Cheers!" Radley says. He gulps down his glass and sets it down empty. Across the table, Kalin hasn't touched his.

Around the room, Radley's other henchmen are also enjoying a drink.

"Cactus cider never tasted so good! Of course, everything tastes good since you've come to town and started winning duel after duel for me! Let's have another, Kalin!" Says Radley. He pours more cider into Kalin's glass, and he stands up from the table. Radley stops pouring. "Huh?" Radley asks. "What I do here, I do for myself and that's all." Says Kalin, intensely. He turns and walks out.

"'For myself'? What's that supposed to mean?" Radley asks.

"Who knows, but does it even matter, Radley? After all, so long as he keeps on winnin', you keep on winnin'. And keep makin' loads a' cash, right?"

Radley drinks down a second glass of cider and sets it down, still staring after Kalin. "Yeah, I guess." Says Radley.

Kalin sits out alone on a dark cliff somewhere, playing the same sad tune on his harmonica.

A shooting star slices the dark sky above.

"Still, I wonder what goes through that guy's mind sometimes." Radley says, in voice-over. Kalin's eyes are closed, focused on the music, his right hand holds the harmonica and his left holds his hand steady. And he remembers.

Flashback. Kalin, as a Dark Signer, rides through a world of bright purple fire against harsh darkness, raising his trump card high. "It's the end of the line! I summon to the field, Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu!" Says Kalin.

Through the flames, robed men could be seen shouting, in pain and fear, their screams silent, the innocents gathered for this tribute summon. They turned into light and vanished one by one, shooting upward into the glowing rocky fist in the sky that heralded the summoning of an Earthbound Immortal. The cracks in the rock began to pulse with black-threaded purple light and finally blazed, exploding into a column of light that connected the earth with the heavens, dark clouds swirling around it. The ground shook and the sky roiled above, and then the column dissipated and a monolithic hand erupted from the earth, and the Giant rose, glowing with an inner light. Its features were wrought in a shining blue against deepest black. It rose to its full height and raised a hand to swat at a passing helicopter, lazily. Its single 'eye' pulsed even brighter and it clenched its hands in an expression of earth-shattering might, lightning tearing the sky around it and purple flames burning at its feet. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Kalin continues to play his harmonica, deep in thought. _"I've done some terrible things in my past, so I must pay a terrible price. No matter who tries to stop me."_ Kalin thinks to himself.

Flashback. Earlier that evening, Kalin brakes on his runner.

"Kalin!" Skylara says. Her voice echoes across the empty plain.

A vast distance stands between them. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Kalin continues to play. _"I don't know how Skylara found me, but she's too late to make any difference."_ Kalin thinks to himself.

The little kid, who was eagerly watching him street duel earlier, approaches. "Kalin?"

Kalin stops playing mid-note and turns.

The kid laughs a bit, excited to be noticed by his hero.

"Whaddaya doin' here, kid?" Asks Kalin, wearily. He looks back out at the landscape.

The kid sits next to Kalin, eagerly. "I just thought we could hang out, is all. I wanna be just like you when I grow up!" "You don't." Kalin says. "Sure do! A world-class duelist and when I am, I'm gonna use my skills to free my dad from the mountain mines!" "Sorry, kid. Anyone who's shipped off to that mountain is staying there." Says Kalin. "That's not true, a good duelist can accomplish anything." Kalin turns to look at him. "I used to believe that, too." Says Kalin. For the first time, the kid looks doubtful. "Uh?" "But, it's not true. You and your sister should leave this place, before dueling ruins both of your lives." Kalin says. The kid regards him, a bit confused, but isn't buying it. "No way, Kalin." Kalin looks away from him. "I'm sticking with you no matter what!"

The noonday sun shines bright above dusty little Crash Town. A bird of prey glides past on the breeze.

The town is empty, deserted. Skylara, in her black cloak, now with the hood over her head, shadowing the upper half of her face, watches a tumbleweed amble past as she sets down a chair and sits in the shade outside on the corner, looking out at the empty streets. _"This town may be quiet now. However, come dusk, the duelists come out with their decks a'-blazing. Which means, I better be ready."_ Skylara thinks to herself. She polishes her gun-style duel disk with a cloth and re-holsters it, then pulls from her pocket the blue pendant. _"After all, there are still so many loose ends dangling in this desert wind. Like what this pendant means."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

Flashback. An escaped prisoner from the mines threw the pendant up toward the cliff, where it landed next to Skylara. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Skylara holds the pendant by its cord, letting it hang in front of her face. _"And why did that man throw it over to me? Who was he?"_ Skylara thinks to herself again.

She puts away the pendant when she sees that Barb has approached from the doorway behind her, carrying a bouquet of white flowers. "Flowers again, Barbara? Guess it is good to know even way out here, something pure can bloom." Says Skylara.

Soon the bright noon sun has become the ruthless orange sunset once again. Bystanders trickle out of buildings and open windows, and the tip of the mountain gleams, reflecting light from the sun.

The wagon arrives, ready with a fresh coffin for the next mine worker. The short, flabby guy chuckles, with eager anticipation. "Heheh, heh, heh."

Barb emerges from a doorway, carrying her bouquet of flowers.

To the north, the Malcolms are approaching.

The Radleys are already riding in from the south, and Radley himself cuts across their path to park in front. He removes his helmet, smugly. "What have we got here? Hope you brought me a better duelist than yesterday's, Malcolm. The Giant may've stood tall, but his skills were in short supply. Then again, maybe it's just Malcolm's smarts that are itty-bitty." Radley says. The rest of his bunch chuckles at that.

"Yeah, talk now! 'Cause after this here dusk duel, I guarantee ya you're gonna have a whole lot a' nothin' to say!" Says Malcolm.

"Hahahaha! Oh, we'll just see about that! Or better yet, my undefeated duelist here will see." Radley says. He looks back and the gang looks where he does.

Kalin walks through the group of runners to the fore. "Now, giddyup and bring your higher deck out!" Says Radley.

"With pleasure! Make yourself known, sweetheart." Malcolm says.

Skylara walks out of the flower shop on the corner, past Barb.

Kalin watches her, as Skylara walks to the center of the north end of the arena and faces him.

Skylara removes the hood and it falls behind her, releasing her hair as it falls back into place. "Kalin." Says Skylara.

"I had a feeling it would be you." Kalin says.

"Kalin, forget this. It is time we both just went home." Says Skylara.

"Hmph. But I have no home. My place is here now, Skylara." Kalin says.

"No, it isn't!" Says Skylara.

"Huh?" Kalin asks.

Skylara glares back, she means it.

"You're that girl who called out to Kalin yesterday, you know each other?" Asks Radley.

"Yeah, but don't think that means we'll go easy in this duel." Kalin says.

Radley is a bit unnerved from that look he just got from him. "Nah, I know that. 'Cause if ya do, you'll be sent to the mines for the rest of your life." Says Radley.

Kalin turns back to Skylara. "Are you sure you wanna do this?" Kalin asks.

"Yes." Says Skylara.

"Fine, then let's duel!" Kalin says.

The sun is edging toward the horizon.

Skylara throws open the folds of her cloak, ready to draw.

Kalin nudges aside the hip of his jacket, waiting, hand cocked to draw.

The town watches, breathlessly, except the boy who spoke to Kalin earlier, who sneaks over to the Radleys' right-hand corner for a front row view, and calls. "Hey, Kalin! I believe in you!"

The cart driver is still laughing, creepily. "Heheheh, heh, heh."

Malcolm and Radley lock eyes, glaring.

And just as the sun touches the horizon line, the crowd shouts. "Draw!"

Skylara and Kalin draw and activate their duel disks and draw their first hands, in absolutely perfect unison. As soon as that happened, both the long, ridged scar across Skylara's left arm and the scar through Kalin's right shoulder make an affect, making them both react, but not enough to show it hurts.

"You are a quick draw, Kalin." Says Skylara.

"You, too." Kalin says.

"But, who was first?" Asks Malcolm. One of the Malcolms responds. "I guess, tie goes to the champ."

"Let's get this started. First, I summon Infernity Randomizer." Kalin says. Infernity Randomizer has 900 attack points and is a level 1 monster. "I then end my turn with a face down." Says Kalin.

 _"He summoned a monster in attack mode on his first turn. However, one that only has nine hundred attack points. He could be drawing me into attack. Alright, I_ _sha_ _ll take the bait._ _However,_ _I_ _sha_ _ll take it with some serious speed."_ Skylara thinks to herself. "It is my draw!" Skylara says. As she draws, she glances. "I summon Warnado to the field!" Says Skylara. Warnado has 900 attack points and is a level 2 monster. "And due to his special ability, during the battle phase of the turn in which he's successfully summoned, his attack points are doubled. Next, I am going to equip the spell 'Fighting Spirit' onto Warnado. And that means, he gains three hundred attack points for every one of your monsters. So now, Warnado's total attack points are twenty-one-hundred! Now, let's put them to use! Go, Warnado! Attack Infernity Randomizer! Go, Whirlwind Flight!" Skylara says.

Warnado twirls forward on his tornado and delivers an upside-down kick to Infernity Randomizer's head, it shatters.

Kalin doesn't blink. "I play the trap, 'Infernity Reflector'." Says Kalin. Waves start to spread on the ground, epicentered around the card.

Skylara braces against the wind.

As do the spectators on both sides.

Kalin doesn't bother. The wind dies down. "You see, when a monster with Infernity in its name is destroyed, I can negate its destruction by simply sending all the cards in my hand to the graveyard and then you take a thousand points of direct damage." Kalin says. His lifepoints decrease to 2800 from Skylara's attack.

Skylara's decrease to 3000. _"Now he's cardless, just as he likes."_ Skylara thinks to herself. Warnado's attack points decrease to 1200.

The crowd lets out its collectively-held breath, looking nervous. "What now?" "I don't know." The boy on the corner is watching, anxiously. "Now, Kalin wins!"

"Heheheheheheh." Radley laughs.

"Rrghh." Malcolm growls under his breath.

Barb is frowning.

"I place one face down and end my turn." Says Skylara. _"Hopefully, it won't be my last."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

Skylara and Kalin face off in Crash Town at sundown.

Kalin draws. "My turn, Skylara. I'll play one face down and then activate Randomizer's ability! With it, once per turn, I draw one card and then send that card to the graveyard. If the card I draw is a monster card, then you take damage equal to its level, multiplied by two hundred. However, if it's not a monster card, then I take five hundred points of damage." Kalin says.

"So, it all comes down to dumb luck? That is not like you, Kalin." Says Skylara.

"No, it's not luck. It comes down to Fate. Fate will decide." Kalin says.

"Wait, is it just me or is Kalin acting off? He is gonna win, right?" Asks Radley. A member of the Bunch answers, nervously. "Oh yeah, sure, without a doubt."

The crowd watches, anxiously.

As does the little boy.

And Barb.

Kalin draws. The monster clicks, ominously. Kalin glances at the card and shows it, Infernity Destroyer. "Monster. Level six." Kalin says.

"Level six?! Let's ditch this duel!" Says Malcolm.

"The duel will go on!"

"Says who?!" Malcolm asks, sharply.

The man on the coffin cart, who wields the lasso, stands up, glaring down at him.

Malcolm looks scared and backs down. "Fi-i-ine." Says Malcolm.

Skylara takes six rapid-fire shots to the chest and her lifepoints fall to 1800.

"I end my turn." Kalin says.

The crowd gasps, shocked.

 _"Not good. I'm here to rescue Kalin. However, at this rate, I'm going to be the one needing help."_ Skylara thinks to herself. She glances over at Barb, waiting with her flowers.

Flashback. Skylara puts the pendant away. "Guess it is good to know even way out here, something pure can bloom." Says Skylara. Barb then shows her the explosives hidden in the middle of the bouquet. "Hm?" Skylara asks. "Yes, Skylara. But, it's not just these flowers that can bloom. Hope blooms, as well. If you can somehow manage to defeat Kalin in a duel, then I have the tools to free him before he's banished to that mine forever." Says Barb. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. _"I have to focus. I can't let Kalin end up in that mine."_ Skylara thinks to herself. "It is my turn now. And I summon Sonic Boom!" Skylara says.

Sonic Boom is a level-four wind-attribute monster, with eighteen-hundred attack points and eight hundred defense points.

 _"If I play my cards right, maybe I can convince Kalin he doesn't belong in those mines. And the best way to do that, is to get down and dirty in this duel. If I confront Kalin head-on, I may be able to see what_ _i_ _s going on deep within his heart and get_ _h_ _im to finally forgive himself for all his past mistakes."_ Skylara thinks to herself. "Sonic Boom attacks Infernity Randomizer! And thanks to Sonic Boom's ability, during the damage step she gains four hundred attack points! Now, let him have it!" Says Skylara.

Sonic Boom destroys Infernity Randomizer.

"Well done, Skylara. But, I saw that coming. Now then." Kalin says. His lifepoints decrease to fifteen hundred. Kalin points his finger at his own head and flicks it, carelessly.

 _"Oh, no."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

"I play my face down, the trap 'Damage Gate'. Now, I can summon one monster from my graveyard whose attack points are equal or less than the damage I just took. And the monster I summon is Infernity Beetle." Says Kalin. Infernity Beetle has 1200 attack points and is a level 2 monster.

"Then Warnado will just have to attack your new monster." Skylara says.

"But, they both have the same attack points! What's she trying to do?" Asks Radley.

Warnado destroys Infernity Beetle. "Now, by destroying the equip spell 'Fighting Spirit', Warnado survives the clash." Skylara says. Warnado's attack points decrease back to 900. "That is my turn." Says Skylara. She nods to Kalin a bit, watching closely for what he does next.

Kalin smiles, cynically. "You never change. You're not simply trying to win, Skylara. You're trying to bring out my heart at the same time, aren't you?!" Kalin asks.

"Perhaps." Says Skylara.

"The problem is, the heart you seek is long gone." Kalin says.

"That isn't true." Says Skylara.

"It is true. And I deserve whatever I get." Kalin says.

"Come now, Kalin. Have you forgotten all about your past? All of the things that you have been through with Yusei, Jack and Crow? Try and think back." Says Skylara.

Flashback. A map of the Satellite Sector, each district marked with a letter, is slammed down on the table. The Enforcer Kalin looks much younger, though this was only four years ago, back then, his bleach-white hair was short, his face unmarked and he was dynamic, confident, even reckless. "You guys ready to go take down the Ambulators?" Kalin asks. Yusei nods and starts to smile. Crow nods, too. "Yeah!" Says Crow. Jack also nods, the four of them are each wearing an identical brown vest, the symbol of their gang. Kalin makes a fist and raises it high. "Time for the Enforcers to do some enforcing!" Kalin says. The other three do the same and fist-bump above the table. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Remember?" Asks Skylara.

"Yeah. But, I also remember the bad times." Kalin says.

Flashback. Dark Signer Kalin glares over his shoulder at Yusei and his wobbling runner, maliciously, as Ccapac Apu's massive black hand reaches for them. "And don't tell me you've forgotten!" Says Kalin, in voice-over.

Yusei faces down the attack, fiercely, cornered and trapped. At the last moment Yusei flinches, waiting for the end. Then something on the side of Yusei's runner explodes and he skids backward, out of control.

The Giant's hand plows into the ground, and Yusei and his runner go flying in its wake, knocked senseless, rolling end over end. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Kalin's fist clenches at his side. "I tried to destroy Yusei, Skylara. I did some pretty horrible things. Some truly unforgivable things. Things that I regret but can't take back." Kalin says.

"Kalin. Sure, you made some pretty big mistakes. However, that is done. The darkness is gone now, I know it left!" Says Skylara.

Flashback. Majestic Star Dragon swoops down through the dark heavens and plunges through the heart of Ccapac Apu. "Attack!" Yusei says. Majestic Star Dragon comes soaring out the other side, spreading its wings to glide, far ahead of the wave of darkness that erupts from the Giant as it falls.

Bathed in iridescent, shimmery light, Yusei's runner is stopped, Kalin is lying across his lap, his head rested on the right-side arm bar and he's in bad shape. He looks up at Yusei, his eyes have turned their normal color again. "You're not gonna go and do something stupid like... lose to the Dark Signers... are you?" Asks Kalin, hoarsely and weakly. Yusei shakes his head no. Kalin is smiling, peaceful and benign. "Don't back down, Yusei. No matter what happens... push the shadows back where they belong...! Ggh!" Kalin says, hoarsely and weakly. With a small gasp of pain, he turns to black dust, evaporating in Yusei's arms.

Yusei stares at his empty arms, eyes full of pain. "Kalin!" Says Yusei. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "I'm so sorry, Skylara. I tried to forget the past, but..." Kalin says.

"But what?" Asks Skylara.

"But, even though it looked like the darkness scattered away, it's still very much with me. Only now, it doesn't tempt me to be wicked." Kalin says.

Skylara gasps. "It makes me want something else, something I long for day and night. Skylara, what I long for is to pay for all of my wrongdoings." Says Kalin.

"Stop it! Kalin, you have suffered enough!" Skylara says.

"No, I haven't. But I will, and you are going to be the one that helps me." Says Kalin.

"Wait, me?" Skylara asks.

The reddening sun commands the sky to the west.

A silence hangs over the field for a moment.

"You're going to help me suffer, Skylara. You see, I've been dueling in these parts for a while now. Waiting to lose so that I could meet my fate." Says Kalin. He has a small smile. "Problem was, I never lost." Kalin says.

"Right, because your fate doesn't end here." Says Skylara.

"Wrong. I survived because of you, because destiny wanted you to defeat me." Kalin says.

"Listen, Kalin. I have no plans to destroy you in this duel of ours and I know, deep inside, you don't want me to." Says Skylara.

"Skylara, there is no 'deep inside'. What you see, is all that's left of me anymore." Kalin says.

Barb is frowning.

"No, don't say that!" Says the boy, sadly.

"Don't say anything! Let's duel, not talk!" Malcolm says.

"Very well, then! I activate the spell card 'ZERO-MAX'. I can activate it when it's the only card in my hand. It lets me select one Infernity monster from my grave and summon it. Then any monster whose attack points are less than my Infernity's are destroyed." Says Kalin.

Skylara gasps, that's bad.

"Now appear, Infernity Destroyer." Kalin says. Infernity Destroyer has 2300 attack points and is a level 6 monster. "And begone, any monsters with twenty-three-hundred or less attack points!" Says Kalin.

That's both of Skylara's, they're gone.

"I can't attack on the turn 'ZERO-MAX' was activated. So, I end my turn." Kalin says.

"You know, Kalin. It is interesting, for someone who wants to lose so badly, you certainly are dueling with a whole lot of might." Says Skylara.

"Yeah. But surely you must understand, Skylara. If I'm going to lose, I want to truly lose, so that I can truly suffer." Kalin says.

"I don't think so. I think you are dueling because you love it, Kalin. So, there is hope. It is my move now and I summon Hex!" Says Skylara. Hex has 1300 attack points and is a level 3 monster. "When this monster is successfully summoned, I can then summon one level-two-or-below monster that is resting in my graveyard out in defense mode! And the monster I summon is Warnado." Skylara says. Warnado has 900 defense points and is a level 2 monster. "And since Hex happens to be a tuner monster, I can now summon Gill Grunt from my hand in defense mode." Says Skylara. Gill Grunt has 300 attack points, 200 defense points and is a level 2 monster. "Now, level-three Hex tune with level-two Warnado. From two come one and from one will come great power! Watch as they merge their might! Watch as I summon, the synchro monster Ninjini!" Skylara says. Ninjini has 2300 attack points. "And when Ninjini is successfully synchro-summoned, her attack points increase by the total attack points of all level-three-or-below monsters that are out on my field. So, that means she gets three hundred from Gill Grunt." Says Skylara. That's 2600 attack points total. "Next, I shall play Gill Grunt's ability. It lets me power up one rare-element-type monster with three hundred more attack points!" Skylara says. That's 2900 attack points now. "Now go, Ninjini! Attack Infernity Destroyer!" Says Skylara.

Kalin coughs and groans as he takes the attack. Kalin's down to 900 lifepoints and partway hunched over.

"Oh no, Kalin!" The boy says, yelling out, worriedly.

Kalin straightens up again, ready to retaliate. "If my monster is destroyed and I have no cards in my hand, then I can summon Infernity Avenger from my grave to the field in defense mode!" Says Kalin. Infernity Avenger has 0 defense points and is a level 1 monster. "And when Avenger's summoned due to this special ability, his level changes to that of the destroyed monster's." Kalin says.

"Hm?" Asks Skylara.

"So since my Destroyer's level was six, Avenger's level is now six." Kalin says. Then he stumbles a bit, putting a hand to his chest. "Gh-aagh." Says Kalin.

Skylara notices this, even though he mostly recovers after a moment.

"I'm down to nine hundred lifepoints, Skylara. Which means, one more attack and I'll be done-for. I'm glad you are the one who will finish me, Skylara. It really is fitting." Kalin says.

"Kalin, you are still talking nonsense. Now, cut it out!" Says Skylara.

"It's true. At long last, the end is finally near. Please believe me when I say that I'm truly sorry for all the harm that I've caused. Especially, all the damage I ended up doing to your left arm and taking your innocence by force." Kalin says.

Skylara looks down at the arm that's holding up her duel disk, solemnly. The long, jagged scar is hidden by her detached sleeve and armband on her left arm. Skylara closes her eyes and when she opens them, they have shifted to red and with her abilities, she makes the armband and detached sleeve appear transparent, as if they were never there in the first place, revealing the long, jagged scar she received at Kalin's hands a little over four years ago.

Kalin can see it from where he is, he's looking at it, regretfully.

The detached sleeve and armband soon reappear, hiding the scar from view once more. Skylara's eyes shift back to their normal emerald green hue and she looks back up at Kalin.

"I heard Yusei mention once before that you lost most of the feeling in your left arm and also most of the ability to move it anymore and I deeply apologize for that. I deserve the wound you gave me, but you didn't deserve the wound I gave you. And I'm truly sorry for taking your innocence, that was wrong of me." Says Kalin.

Skylara is practically speechless, he really means everything that he's saying.

"Let everyone know that. Now, let's let Fate run its course, shall we?" Kalin asks.

"Kalin." Says Skylara.

And so the duel will continue. Skylara against Kalin, in the harsh light of the partially-set sun.


	24. Chapter 24

_Chapter 24: Showdown At Sundown: Part 2_

Dusty town, frying under the setting sun, but the duel that's raging in the town square is even hotter. Kalin has 900 lifepoints left and Skylara has 1800.

Skylara has Ninjini on the field in attack mode with 2900 attack points and Gill Grunt in defense mode with 200 defense points, plus one card face down.

Kalin's only monster is Infernity Avenger, with 0 attack points, but six level stars.

"Hey, Kalin! You trying to lose this duel, or what!" Radley asks.

Kalin doesn't turn. "All I'm trying to do is allow Fate to deal me a just end. If Skylara beating me here is that end, then so be it. But, I won't just let her win. That would be far too easy." Says Kalin. His face is entirely in shadow as he looks over his shoulder, turned away from the sun. "And there should be nothing easy about the road I'm about to travel on, if there's justice in this world. That road should be rife with plague, disease, and misery." Kalin says.

One of Radley's guys raises a card. "He's gone loony, let me step in for 'im."

"I'm fine." Says Kalin.

"Ah!"

"And besides, a wannabe duelist like you would be toast!" Kalin says.

"Why, you!" Radley puts out an arm to stop this guy. "No. Just let Kalin do his thing. Sure, he may be crazy, but he's also never lost. I still believe in you, Kalin." Says Radley.

"Then quit your blabbermouthin' and let 'im duel already!" Malcolm says.

"He's right. Let's do this." Says Skylara.

"It's my turn! And I summon, Infernity Dwarf." Kalin says. Infernity Dwarf has 800 attack points and is a level 2 monster. "And now, I'll have Infernity Avenger tune with Infernity Dwarf. Watch, as the sinister spirits that inhabit each of these creatures combine into one! Watch as I summon forth, the synchro monster Infernity Doom Dragon!" Says Kalin. Infernity Doom Dragon has 3000 attack points and is a level 8 monster.

"The what dragon?! I've never seen this monster!" Radley says.

"And since I have no cards in my hand, in exchange for not battling, once per turn, I can destroy one monster on your field, and then you take damage equal to half that monster's attack points. Unleash your fury, Doom Dragon!" Says Kalin.

With that, Ninjini is destroyed and Skylara is down to 350 lifepoints. "Uuuggghhhh!"

"I end my turn." Kalin says.

Radley's crowd all raise fists and cheer. "Yess!" "All right! Kalin's comin' back!" Says Radley.

Kalin closes his eyes for a moment, and appears drained and exhausted. Then he opens his eyes and looks right at Skylara, a silent dare to move.

"We shall see." Skylara says. She draws, glances at her card and then her face down flips. "It is my turn and first, I destroy the face down trap card 'Limiter Overload' on my field. So, I can summon Prism Break from my hand. And there is more. Since 'Limiter Overload' was sent to the grave, its effect now activates and lets me revive Warnado." Says Skylara. Warnado has 900 attack points and is a level 2 monster. "And now, I shall release Warnado to summon Trigger Happy from my hand. Now, level-one Gill Grunt tune with level-two Prism Break and level-five Trigger Happy." Skylara says. Gill Grunt's star forms a single green ring, and Prism Break's and Trigger Happy's golden outlines fly through it, and their stars align. "Behold, these three will now unite and transform to create the all-powerful, the almighty, the ultimate, Cynder the Black Dragon. Cynder, take flight!" Says Skylara. Cynder the Black Dragon has 2900 attack points, is a level 8 monster and is a dark type monster. Skylara's mighty dragon appears with a shriek, her wings rain darkness through the dusky air.

The Malcolm Crew are the ones snickering now. "Sorry, Radley! But anything your duelist can do, ours can do better!" Malcolm says.

"Heh. We'll see about that, 'cause these two beasts are about to brawl!" Says Radley.

The two dragons shriek.

"I end my turn with a face down. Your move, Kalin." Skylara says.

"Yes, it is. I'll throw a face down, too. And then have Infernity Doom Dragon attack that Cynder the Black Dragon! Go, Infernal Flame Blast!" Says Kalin.

"I play my face down, 'Shadow Frame'. Since you attacked my monster, I'm allowed to negate this battle. However, the best part is that now 'Shadow Frame' becomes an equip card. An equip card that attaches itself to Cynder the Black Dragon for a big attack-point power-up. Specifically, a power-up made up from the difference between your dragon's attack points and mine, that is five hundred!" Skylara says. Cynder's attack points are now 3000, just like Kalin's dragon.

"Now their attack points are exactly the same!" Says Malcolm.

"Huh?!" Both Radley and his bunch ask.

Skylara and Kalin meet eyes across the field, faces shadowed by the fading sun. _"And Fate tightens its grip."_ Kalin thinks to himself. He breaks his gaze and closes his eyes. "The end is near." Says Kalin, whispering.

"It is my draw. First, I shall summon this beast. Come, Slam Bam." Skylara says. Slam Bam has 1000 attack points, 500 defense points, is a level 3 monster and is a water type monster.

By sacrificing the monster card Slam Bam, you can increase one of your monsters' attack points by fifteen-hundred.

"Next, Cynder the Black Dragon shall attack Infernity Doom Dragon." Says Skylara.

"This is bad! Both monsters will be destroyed, then Slam Bam will be able to attack for the win!" Radley says.

Kalin faces it down, teeth clenched. "Go, Dark Shadow Flame!" Says Skylara.

"I play a trap card, 'Infernity Break'. Now, since I have no cards in my hand, by removing an Infernity monster in my grave from play, I can destroy a card on your field. And the card I choose to destroy is 'Shadow Frame'. Which means Cynder the Black Dragon's attack point power-up is no more." Kalin says. He watches Cynder hover back down to Skylara's side of the field with a small smile. _"I've done all I can. Whatever happens now is destined to be!"_ Kalin thinks to himself.

"I play Slam Bam's ability. Since the attack points of one of my monsters changed, I am now allowed to release Slam Bam and increase that monster's attack points by fifteen-hundred!" Says Skylara. Slam Bam attaches to Cynder's back, as if riding her, and she rises into the sky.

"Uh-oh! That's not good!" Radley says.

 _"This is it!"_ Kalin thinks to himself.

Cynder the Black Dragon darkens like a shadow, absorbing the power of Slam Bam and the darkness bursts off of her in a rain of black sparkles. Her attack points are now 4000. "One more time, Cynder the Black Dragon! Attack with Dark Shadow Flame!" Says Skylara. Cynder the Black Dragon inhales and breathes a dark stream of ultracharged flame, which hits Infernity Doom Dragon right in the chest.

It explodes and Kalin faces down the blast he's been waiting for, his lifepoints decrease to zero. Kalin closes his eyes, contented. _"At last! I will meet the fate that I deserve. The justice I've longed for!"_ Kalin thinks to himself.

The coffin cart drives toward him, who doesn't move.

Skylara gasps.

And envisions the plan she and Barb cooked up, this is when it's supposed to happen. Barb offers Skylara the bouquet of flowers she's holding, the flowers have explosives concealed in them. As the wagon drivers lasso Kalin and reel him in toward the carriage, Skylara throws the explosives. "If you can somehow manage to defeat Kalin in a duel, then I have the tools to free him before he's banished to that mine forever!" Barb says. The explosion panics the horses, frees Kalin, Skylara and Barb run in, and they carry him to safety. The vision ends.

Back to the present. The lasso flies and fastens around Kalin's middle, pinning his arms to his sides. Kalin grunts, with surprise, and is pulled off of his feet.

Skylara looks to her right, where Barb's waiting with the flowers. "Barbara, now!" Says Skylara, whispering to her.

Barb doesn't move, her face shadowed.

"Hm?" Skylara asks.

This is starting to look bad, Barb's smile doesn't look very friendly anymore. "You asked for it." Says Barb. And the flowers in her arms explode, a crackling ball of electricity hits Skylara right in the chest, shocking her pretty badly and knocking her to the ground, hard. Skylara raises her head, as Barb approaches. "No! Barbara, why?" Skylara asks. At last she can see Barb's face and she looks very unfriendly. "Heheheheheheh, aheheheheheheh, hahahahaha!" "Why?" Asks Skylara.

Kalin is being dragged toward the mine undertakers' cart, he lands in the coffin, with a slight groan of pain. The big guy in black, who wields the lasso, snickers down at him before closing the lid, and says in a slight hispanic accent… "Heheheh, see you at the mines."

Skylara's still on the ground, staring up at Barb and wincing with pain. Barb throws aside the flowers and reveals the weapon she actually concealed in them, a gun she tosses from hand to hand. "Hm. Sorry, but you won't be able to move for a while due to that cyber-ray blast." Barb says.

Just then, there is the rumble of a duel runner from beyond the eastern leg of the crossroad.

Everyone turns and looks.

Then, a large duel runner comes roaring over the hill. Its driver speaks. "Ohh, yeah!" He starts braking and skids into town sideways, past Skylara's head, to park next to the coffin cart in the western road.

Skylara's craning her neck to see what's going on.

Then the runner starts to transform. Stilts extend between the body and the wheels, elevating the runner up off the road. Several arms unfold from the body, each tipped with a duel disk, either local-style gun-shaped or more standard variety.

 _"What is that thing?"_ Skylara thinks to herself.

The rider stands up at his seat, with a nasty half-grin. Malcolm's people start cheering. Barb's standing with them now.

"No! It can't be!" Says Radley.

The mystery rider pulls a gun-style duel disk out of one of the robotic arms on his machine, clocks back and wings it right at Radley.

It strikes Radley right in the forehead and he falls to the ground. Radley pushes himself up on his hands, moaning a bit, as the rider removes his helmet. "You're-you're Malcolm's kid bro, Lawton!" Radley says.

Lawton is the picture of dashing and strong, with a square jaw and thick neck, the way he smiles, which he does briefly, makes it look perhaps like his jaw got stuck. The back of his glossy brown hair is in a rough ponytail. He looks toward the west, the sun is almost down. "Tha-at's right. And it looks like I got here just in time." Says Lawton.

The horses on the carriage whinny, they're leaving with their prisoner.

"Hold up." Lawton says.

The carriage drivers look up at him, surprised.

"You got room for one more today, fellas?" Asks Lawton. He jumps down from his monstrous runner and walks to stand opposite Radley, who's still sitting on the ground looking stunned and bewildered. "Ahh!"

Lawton draws and activates his gun-style duel disk, wielding it with ease and expertise. "Let's duel!" Lawton says.

"Right now? But the sun's about to set, there's not enough time for a duel." Says Radley.

Lawton holds up a single finger. "There's time enough for a single move." Lawton says.

 _"What?"_ Radley thinks to himself.

Skylara is still lying on the ground, paralyzed. _"A single move?"_ Skylara thinks to herself.

"Ya think you can rise to the challenge? Think you can even rise up off the ground?" Asks Lawton.

The Malcolms snicker.

Radley gets to his feet and activates his duel disk, drawing an opening hand.

"All righty, I'll draw first. Hope you're ready, here we go! First, I summon Gatling Ogre!" Lawton says. Gatling Ogre is a tall, nasty-looking sort of gremlin with a gun through its waist, a crank for the gun protruding from its right side, and its whole left arm a big metal chamber for ammunition. "And then, I'll place five cards face down." Says Lawton. He fills each of his spell and trap zones with a card, leaving his hand empty.

"Heheh, are you loco? In a duel, the first person who moves can't attack, and you just went first. So now, there's no way you can win this." Radley says.

"Is that so?" Asks Lawton.

"Huh?" Radley asks.

"Go!" Says Lawton. Gunfire.

Skylara is watching closely.

"Ya see, Radley! Due to Gatling Ogre's special ability, for every card in my spell and trap zone that I banish to the grave, you take eight hundred points of damage and guess what, I just banished all five face downs I just played! So, that's four thousand points of attack-free firepower!" Lawton says.

Radley drops to his knees, beyond stunned. His lifepoints go straight from 4000 to 0. "No! This can't be! I've-lost! Ugh!" Says Radley. He collapses, face down in the dirt.

The Malcolms are laughing and calling out.

Skylara is still frozen on the ground, but she saw the whole thing. _"And this Lawton guy has some skills."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

The sun finally sinks all the way below the horizon.

The lassoer picks Radley up by the back of his coat and drags him away.

Lawton rides up to the rest of the Radley Bunch and his robotic arms start activating their wide variety of duel disks. Lawton stands up on top of the monster runner, looming over them. "If any of you wanna meet the same end he did! Well, then. I'd be happy to oblige and arrange a duel anytime, anywhere! Otherwise, throw down your decks!" Lawton says. The Radleys comply, hastily, throwing their gun-shaped duel disks into a pile. "Okay!" "Okey-dokey!" "Yes, Sir!" Lawton smirks down at them, he's in charge and he likes it.

Two red-bandanna'ed Malcolm thugs are holding Skylara up by the arms, beside the coffin wagon. "Sorry, sweetheart. Guess we shoulda told ya. The plan all along was for my kid brother Lawton to come into town and give it to these Radley Bunch buffoons!" Says Malcolm. Skylara's eyes shift to red and she glares, in response. "But in order to do that, we had to get rid of Kalin, first. Sure, our ace-in-the-hole Lawton could've handled that problem by himself, but why risk it? You knew Kalin, so who better to defeat him? That's why I contacted you." Barb says. "Wait, so then! You never even cared about helping Kalin at all?!" Asks Skylara, her voice slightly menacing and echoic. "No, of course not! I only care about one thing! And that's..." Barb says. She snuggles her hair against Malcolm's jaw. "Helping my sweetcakes here rule this town!" Says Barb, in a cutesy voice. "Hmhmhm!" Malcolm laughs. Skylara keeps glaring, sickened. Barb walks forward to lean over Skylara. "Now, now, Skylara. Don't look so upset, after all, we can still be friends." Barb says. She leans in. "Why, if you're up to it, I could even make you my personal servant for life." Says Barb. Skylara glares at her betrayer, icily. "No thank you." Skylara says.

Lawton nudges Barb aside and is the next to get in her face, lifting her chin with a hand, looking her deeply in her still red eyes. "Enough talking. Time for Skylara to go bye-bye. Take 'er away, boys!" Says Lawton. The two Malcolm guys help the lassoer lift Skylara into the third coffin stacked on the wagon and then it drives off toward the mountain.

Above, the tip of the mountain that lights up in the sunset no longer gleams.

Back in town, Malcolm takes a few steps toward the rest of the townsfolk, who all turned out to watch the duel, they look nervous. Malcolm raises a fist to the sky, triumphantly. "Now, listen up an' listen good! From here on out the Malcolm Crew runs the show! So, if anyone wants to so much as sneeze around here, you gotta get our 'okay'! Ain't that right!" Lawton says. The rest of Malcolm's crew cheers, the townsfolk disperse to their homes without much comment. The new rulers of Crash Town, Malcolm, Lawton and Barb watch the coffin wagon disappear into the distance.

The little boy runs to the town gate to watch the wagon leave, despairing. "Kalin, they took him!"

Someone rests a hand on his shoulder and he looks up. His sister, not quite old enough to be teenaged, looks almost as troubled. She wears a ruffly, full-length, faded-mauve gown, and her dark-brown hair runs down her back. "How do we rescue Pa now, sis?" She kneels to hug him around the shoulders, consolingly.

Two of Malcolm's men in red bandannas lead Skylara, who's eyes have reverted back to their normal emerald green hue, Kalin and Radley, each ones wrists and head locked in a pillory, through a mining tunnel crudely lit with a few electric lights. Skylara's cloak and Kalin's big black coat have been taken away. So, Skylara's wearing her normal long black coat again and Kalin looks very cold in that thin, faded shirt. One of the thugs speaks. "Welcome to the mines." They unlock Kalin's pillory and fasten a metal collar around his neck instead, adding… "Don't even think about escaping." Radley and Skylara are each collared, as well. The other thug that didn't speak before speaks now, to Skylara. "Restrictor collars, ya step outta line and I can getcha just like that." The thug indicates the activated duel disk on his own arm. Skylara gasps, she just noticed a single bent nail on one of the pillories left abandoned on the ground. "Ugh, this is your fault!" Says Radley, addressing Kalin. He grabs Kalin around the neck and shakes him. Kalin seems a bit surprised, but makes no move to stop him. "If you didn't lose that duel then we wouldn't be in this mess!" Radley says. The two bandannas move in and pull Radley away from Kalin.

Unnoticed, Skylara kneels down and takes the loose nail from the pillory.

"Hey, knock it off!" "Now were going to spend the rest of our lives inside this mountain, breaking our backs day and night!" Says Radley.

Skylara straightens herself up.

The thug who's speaking is all but lifting Radley up by his hair. "If you don't simmer down, I'll test out that collar!" "Nnnggghh!" "Now then, let's put you three to work, shall we?" The thug gripping the top of Radley's head leads him along by it, and he whimpers a little, the second thug leads Kalin with a hand on his back and snaps at Skylara. "Move it, honey!"

Skylara walks alongside, calmly. Radley's still whimpering, as they walk deeper and deeper into the pitch-black tunnels of the mine. "Please, let me go. I want out of here!" Radley says. "Sorry, this is the end a' the road!"

Deep within the Dyne Mines of Crash Town. Skylara, Kalin and Radley are walked out of the dark tunnels into an area lit with murky yellowish light. Radley's jaw drops, even Skylara looks a bit daunted. Kalin's expression is one of dull acceptance.

Before them is an open cavern.

"This is our life from now on?" Asks Skylara.

On one side of the cavern, a few miners can be seen swinging picks against the stone walls. Smaller rocks scatter on the ground, some glistening with deposits of the glowing gold mineral dyne. These are picked up by other miners and set on a conveyor belt that runs through the area. One miner pauses swinging his pick, overcome by a fit of coughing.

An overseer in a red bandanna is on him almost immediately, slapping a card onto his duel disk. "Stop slackin'!"

Radley touches his own metal collar, frantically and trembling, as the three new mine laborers observe the grim situation. One of the guys who brought them there speaks to them. "Hope you like whatcha see, 'cause this is gonna be your workstation, gentlemen and lady. It's simple, ya pick at the rocks and dig up as much dyne as possible!" As he spoke, the other mine boss who led them here hands each of them a pickaxe. "Well, get to it!" The guy who handed out the picks leads Radley to one side of the cavern, while his partner leads Skylara and Kalin to the other side.

Skylara and Kalin face a wall, ready to begin swinging their picks at it. "Hey, Kalin. Stay strong." Skylara says, quietly.

Suddenly, a mine boss's whip lashes across Kalin's back.

Kalin grunts, with pain, and falls to his knees, shaking, gripping his pick. Skylara leans down to Kalin, worriedly. "Kalin, stand up!" Says Skylara, urgently.

The boss who just hit Kalin is standing over them with his whip, ready to do it again. "I'd listen to your friend! Go on, get to work!"

Kalin stands up, doggedly, and swings his pick into the rock. Skylara stands up, her own pick in hand. "Hang tight." Skylara says, whispering to Kalin. She hefts her own pick and joins in.

The incandescent yellow bulbs above burn harshly, as the miners' picks scrape away the looser dirt and clink against the hard rock. Overseers in red bandannas are everywhere, including the same one who has stayed around to watch Skylara and Kalin.

As he keeps swinging his pick, Kalin starts coughing. Kalin tries to keep swinging, but with an ill-timed swing, his pick flies out of his hands, Skylara pauses digging.

The lash strikes Kalin again, he falls to the ground, but barely cries out, clenching his teeth against the pain. "Pick it up, butterfingers!"

"Are you alright?" Asks Skylara.

Kalin silently gets his pick, breathing erratically, stands up and keeps digging. Skylara pauses a moment longer, worried.

"Whaddaya staring at, honey!"

Skylara raises her pick and keeps digging.

"That's right, and put your back into it!"

Even as Skylara keeps chopping away at the wall, she glances over at Kalin, who is digging even slower now, each heavy stroke accompanied by a groan of effort.

A siren sounds over a loudspeaker in the mine cavern. The red-scarved overseers smile and head toward the exit.

A fresh crew of red bandannas just arrived, guys in the two crews swap greetings. "Hey." "Finally, the relief crew!" "What, you ain't workin' overtime this week?" "Nuh-uh! One shift is more than enough for me!"

Skylara glances over her shoulder at the two crews. Kalin is still digging. Skylara looks over at the conveyor belt, up to where it slopes down from high in the chamber, the metal ductwork above it, which leads down to a big box of a nondescript machine, and behind it, a dark alcove in the rock wall. Skylara glances back.

The overseers are still chatting. "…you sign up for the dueling...?"

Then Skylara hears a cough.

Elsewhere nearby, a miner has collapsed, a few of his friends kneel beside him, anxiously. "You okay, Jordan?"

Then a pair of red-bandannas show up. "Hey, what gives?!" "What's his problem!" One of the bosses slaps the guy's cheek a few times. "Let's go, you, wake up! Fine, then!" Still coughing, the unfortunate Jordan is hauled to his feet by a pair of red bandannas, and, still coughing, dragged away by them. "You don't work, you don't eat!"

Skylara, having watched this, starts forward to object, Kalin catches her shoulder. "Don't." Kalin says, quietly. For once, his face shows some expression, resolve, as the two of them watch the injustice play out.

Jordan is dragged past the changing crews, out through the tunnel entrance to this part of the mine. "Jus' dump 'im with the rest a' the loafers!" "How many does that make for today?"

"Where are they taking him? He needs help." Says Skylara, aside to Kalin. "Yeah. But, I'm afraid 'help' doesn't exist down here." Kalin says, aside to Skylara. "That man is a human being, Kalin. This isn't right." Says Skylara, aside to Kalin. Kalin then turns away. "Maybe. But, it's going to be our lives from now on. So, better get used to it." Kalin says. Skylara turns around, as he hefts his pick again. "No, I don't think I will. Because, I don't plan on staying here." Says Skylara. Kalin stops digging. "And you shouldn't either." Skylara says. Kalin smiles, ruefully, and points to his metal collar. Skylara shows Kalin the nail she swiped, glances around, then sticks the nail into a hole or groove in her own metal collar, a few sparks fly as she manipulates it, then the collar pops open. Skylara's figured out how to unlock the collars using a stolen nail. Kalin gasps. "Guess all your time in gangs and being able to hack into things has really come in handy." Says Kalin. "I saw a tunnel behind some gear." Skylara says.

Flashback to the dark alcove she saw behind that machine. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Now, if we could somehow manage to sneak off into it, we might be able to find a way out. What do you think?" Asks Skylara. "Hmph." Kalin says. He keeps digging. "What is wrong?" Asks Skylara. "You forget, Skylara. This is the life I wanted for myself." Kalin says. "This is no life, Kalin. It is a living nightmare." Says Skylara. "Look. I'm sorry, Skylara. But, I put my future in Fate's hands and Fate has landed me here." Kalin says. "You are wrong. Kalin, life is about making your own fate." Says Skylara. Kalin keeps striking the rock, though each swing is slightly wearier than the last. Skylara watches Kalin, determined.

Fireworks explode in the sky around the mountain.

In town, bright lights from the buildings brightly and harshly illuminate the central square, in which several wooden tables are laid out. A few guys are riding their runners around and occasionally through the square, pulling stunts and wheelies.

Malcolm and Barb are sitting at one of the tables. "Ah, that was real nice work ya did, sweetcakes." Malcolm says. "My pleasure, dewdrop. And now the town belongs to you." Says Barb. "Nah, it belongs to us." Malcolm says. "To us?" Asks Barb. "Yup, and I'm renaming it Sweetcake-Dewdrop-Ville!" Malcolm says. Barb hugs him. "Ohh, I just love it, Malkie!" Says Barb. "And I wuv you, babyface! My widdle sweet wowwipop, pudding princess!" Malcolm says.

Lawton is leaning against a nearby building, listening to all this and staying remarkably straight-faced, enjoying the party.

Outside the bright lights from the party, the little boy and his sister push Skylara's runner away down the street, slowly, and glancing back at the party, nervously. They pant a bit as they push it, but manage to make it out of town and around the corner of the last building without being noticed.

"Uh?" Asks Lawton. He addresses one of the red-bandannas in the square, a guy who, from the dazed look on his face, may have been hitting the cactus cider a bit too much tonight. "Hey. That Skylara girl, her duel runner. It was just here, but now it's gone." Lawton says. They look up toward the mountain. "Ah, that girl's stuck in the mines for the rest of her life. So what?" "So, I smell a rat. And I don't like rats." Says Lawton.

Another minute, another patch of rock. Skylara sets down her pick again. "Kalin." Skylara says. Kalin pauses for a moment, he's almost too exhausted to talk and dig at the same time anymore. "Skylara, I told you already. I'm staying here in the mines." Says Kalin. He starts up digging again with renewed effort, forcing himself to work. Skylara watches, stubbornly determined, as Kalin keeps striking the rock. "No, you aren't. Listen, you told me Fate put you here. Well, you are about to see that Fate is also going to bust you out." Skylara says.


	25. Chapter 25

_Chapter 25: The Race To Escape: Part 1_

The two kids push Skylara's runner up a trail on the side of the mountain, late at night. "If we're gonna rescue our dad from the mines, then we're gonna need some help. And who better to have our backs than Kalin and that Skylara girl?" Asks the boy. "Right! The both of them are rough an' tough duelists, and with this here duel runner, they'll be even tougher!" The girl says. "Let's just hope we can find 'em." Says the boy.

Meanwhile. Further up the mountain and deep inside it, night looks just as bleak as day.

Skylara and Kalin, among dozens of other miners throughout the cavern, hack away at the rock walls with their pickaxes, under the watchful eye of Malcolm's mine bosses.

Then, the siren sounds again and the guy in the red bandanna, who was watching their every move, wanders off toward the exit, happily.

Skylara looks over her shoulder, watching them.

"Hey, guys." "Quittin' time, fellas? We'll take over guard duties from here on out!"

Skylara kneels down, sets down her pick and takes off the restrictor collar around her neck, dropping it on the ground. Skylara looks up at Kalin. "Alright, now is our chance." Skylara says. Kalin stops working and looks down at her, silently. Skylara glares back. "Kalin, I said that fate was going to bust you out of here. Well, just call me 'fate'." Says Skylara. She punches Kalin in the gut, hard. Kalin glares at Skylara, through his shock and pain, forbiddingly. "Leave me… Skylara…!" Kalin says. He slumps over.

Skylara takes off his collar, leaves it on the floor and carries him away.

Behind her, the guards are still chatting. "Guardin' these twerps is so easy." "Got that right."

Skylara, carrying Kalin on her back, glances back one more time as she ducks into the tunnel she saw behind a machine.

Ironically, this is just as a guard says… "It's almost not fair how much smarter we are than them!" "Totally."

Skylara carries Kalin down a dark tunnel. She stops walking, gasping slightly, the tunnel leads deeper. _"A way out, perfect."_ Skylara thinks to herself. She picks up the pace and soon emerges from the mountain on one of the many trails built into the mountainside. "Finally, we are free." Says Skylara.

Kalin wakes up, looking over her shoulder. Skylara lets Kalin down to stand up. Kalin looks around, then grabs Skylara by the front of her long coat. "I told you, I don't want to be free!" Kalin says, furiously. Skylara grips his arms, in self-defense. "Let go." Says Skylara. They struggle back and forth, and overbalance and roll down the side of the mountain.

Kalin lands on his back, while Skylara lands partially on top of him. They groan for a moment, then when they raise their heads, the sight before them takes their breath away.

Beyond where they fell is a field of gun-style duel disks tied or otherwise affixed to spikes and pillars of varying materials stuck into the ground, a duelists' graveyard.

"What in the world? Where are we?" Kalin asks. "This place, I have been here before. When I first arrived in this town. Some men, they were trying to make a run for it. Trying to escape, only..." Says Skylara.

Flashback. Three men in blue jumpsuits reach the cliff and turn, they have nowhere left to run. "...They were caught." Skylara says, in voice-over. One of them pulls a blue pendant out of the front of his clothing and throws it over the top of the cliff, where it lands beside Skylara. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Skylara takes the pendant out of the front of her coat and looks at it again. It sparks in the sparse light, briefly. Skylara closes her fist on it. Kalin walks a few steps toward the lonely field of duel disks. "So in some way, these duel disks serve as a memory to their past dueling days." Says Kalin. "And to the freedom they have lost. But, what do you care anyway, Kalin?" Skylara asks. Kalin looks over his shoulder. "Don't you see, Skylara? It's my fault these men lost their freedom, 'cause I beat them. Duel after duel, I sent them all to this mountain!" Says Kalin. He falls to his knees, fists clenched on the ground, humbled and devastated. "Kalin." Skylara says.

Then she hears a noise behind her and turns. "Hm?" Asks Skylara. She's spotted the two little kids pushing her runner up the mountainside, determined and resolute. Kalin is back on his feet, looking alarmed. "Is that you, West? Niko?!" Kalin asks.

They stop pushing the runner, elated. "It's Kalin!" Says West. "And Skylara!" Niko says.

Skylara and Kalin climb the slope to meet them at the top. "What are you two doing all the way out here alone?" Asks Kalin. West smiles. "Hmhm! We're here to help! We knew you two would bust outta those mines!" West says. "Look, we brought your runner, too! We were thinking it might come in handy!" Says Niko. "That was very foolish, what if you two had been caught? Why take such a risk?" Kalin asks. "Because you're the only hero we have in this town, Kalin. We just had to try and help. 'Cause without you, we wouldn't have a chance." Says Niko. Kalin is silent. Skylara looks over at him. Kalin takes another step forward. "You mean a chance to rescue your dad from the mines? Don't you, Niko?" Kalin asks. Niko nods. "I sure do. After all, earlier he and some others tried to get out by themselves, but failed." Says Niko, sadly. _"Wait a second, those men I saw trying to escape when I first got here."_ Skylara thinks to herself. She shows them the pendant in her fist. "That necklace, it was my dad's!" West says. "Ah!" Says Niko. "Are you sure?" Skylara asks. "Lemme see." Says West. Skylara hands him the pendant. "It's his, all right!" West says. "For sure!" Says Niko. "What's the deal! How'd you get this?! Is our dad okay?" West asks, accusingly. "I don't know." Says Skylara. "Whadda you mean, 'don't know'? Were you just planning to escape for yourself?!" West asks. Skylara looks down, then out at the field of abandoned duel disks. "What about all the other prisoners?! What, were you just gonna leave them all? They deserve their freedom, too, you know!" Says West. Kalin gasps. "West is right, Kalin. I'm not leaving. Not without saving the others." Skylara says. "So, then what? You're going to set them free? It's not that easy!" Says Kalin. "I know that it won't be easy. But still..." Skylara says. West and Niko listen, anxiously and painfully hopeful. "I know I can remove their restrictor collars. At least, that is a start." Says Skylara. "A start? You'll need more than that." Kalin says. "I know that I will. However, it is hopeless in those mines. So, I shall just have to make up the rest as I go. After all, if we don't help them, who will? What do you say, Kalin? Are you in or out?!" Asks Skylara. "Skylara, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into. Ah?" Kalin asks.

They're hearing the shriek and rumble of runner engines. They look down the trail, surprised, and see headlights approaching. "Oh no!" Says Kalin.

All three runners are big and bulky. The largest runner has bright green headlights and the two sets of headlights on either side of it shine white. "I had a hunch in my gut that Skylara girl wouldn't just lay down and work the mines like a good little prisoner, and that hunch was right! There she is, boys!" Lawton says. The two flanking riders are goons in red bandannas.

"Kalin, the kids." Says Skylara, anxiously. "Right. This way, you two!" Kalin says. He, Niko and West run away up the trail.

Skylara climbs onto her runner and puts on her helmet. Skylara turns a full 180 on both wheels, raising a cloud of dust and crosses back between the two goons, startling both riders into spin-outs.

"Where you goin'?!"

"Not so fast!"

Skylara brakes in the shadow of Lawton's giant runner. Lawton looks back down at Skylara, callously amused. "Heheheheh.." "So, are we going to duel, or what?" Asks Skylara. Without waiting for a response, she turns and rides ahead.

Lawton is even more amused. "A duel, huh? With pleasure!" Lawton says.

Skylara reaches the top of the incline and lands on a wheel, nimbly, and zooms ahead.

Lawton pursues Skylara, straight into a tunnel that leads into the mountain. "I hope you're ready, partner. You know what's at stake." Says Lawton.

"Oh? And what is that?" Skylara asks.

"Why, your freedom. Of course." Says Lawton.

"So be it. And now to set the stage for this duel. Go, 'Speed World Two'!" Skylara says. 'Speed World 2' flashes across her runner screen, on which the digital clock reads 2:57 AM. "Duel mode engaged." Says the computer.

The runners automatically shuffle the duelists' decks.

"Now, let's do this!" Both Skylara and Lawton say. They race onward through the rocky tunnel.

"I think I'll take the first turn, here it goes! I summon out Gatling Ogre!" Says Lawton. Gatling Ogre has 800 attack points, 800 defense points, is a level 3 monster and is a fire type monster.

 _"That monster. He used it against Radley for his special one-turn takedown. For every_ _face down_ _card he sends to the graveyard, it deals eight hundred points of damage."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

Lawton chuckles and picks up the rest of his hand, he has the five cards he needs to do the same thing to her.

"I send Dino-Rang from my hand to the grave and play its ability! Now, until this turn's end phase, the ability of one monster on your field is negated!" Skylara says.

 _"Now I can't do the takedown! But still..."_ Lawton thinks to himself.

Skylara glances over her shoulder, warily.

"I place five face downs." Says Lawton. He places each card in his hand into a spell/trap slot.

 _"Something_ _i_ _s up. He seems unfazed."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

"That's my turn." Lawton says.

Kalin leads West and Niko down a mine tunnel at a run. "Faster! Come on!" Says Kalin. Niko and West gain on him a bit. Kalin glances back over his shoulder, worried.

Just then, the two goons on runners round the corner behind them. "You can run!" "But'cha can't hide!"

"Oh no!" Kalin says.

"It is my turn." Says Skylara. She looks over her shoulder at Gatling Ogre. _"That Gatling Ogre's special ability may pack a punch. However, its attack points sure don't. My best chance is to summon a stronger monster and take it down!"_ Skylara thinks to herself. "I send one monster in my hand to the graveyard and summon the tuner monster known as Elephun." Skylara says. Elephun has 500 attack points and is a level 2 monster.

They're riding out onto a narrow wooden walkway through a deep chasm, eerily lit with distant light that the shade of the rock walls has turned reddish.

"I can use this monster as synchro material in place of a tuner monster with the same element." Says Skylara.

"That's pretty resourceful of you, but ya need more than the right cards to summon a monster! Y'also need…" Lawton says.

They pass through the next tunnel entrance and their way is once again lit only by the runners' headlights.

"The right amount a' room available! I activate the trap, 'Narrow Tunnel'! Now, we can both only summon up to one monster per turn and if there's more than one monster on your field. Well, you just have to destroy all but just one of 'em." Says Lawton.

 _"Not good. My synchro material is worthless if I can't summon another monster. However, that may be the least of my problems. I have that Gatling Ogre's special ability to worry about next turn. He's already activated one trap. So, he now only has four_ _face downs_ _to use. That is unless he draws another trap. Then he shall have five and that_ _i_ _s enough to take down all of my lifepoints!"_ Skylara thinks to herself.

In her mind's eye, Skylara can see herself and her runner getting shelled with fire from Gatling Ogre. The vision ends.

Back to the present. "I place two cards face down and end my turn." Skylara says.

Pause.

"Haha!"

 _"It all comes down to his next draw."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

Kalin and the kids keep running. "I'm sorry about all a' this, Kalin!" Says Niko. "Sorry?" Kalin asks, surprised. "Yes, it's our fault they found us!" Says Niko. "It's okay, you just wanted to free your dad. It's not right what happened to him." Kalin says.

Kalin thinks of the lonely field of duel disks on spikes. The vision ends.

Back to the present. "Now run! 'Cause if these goons catch us, we'll never get to duel again!" Says Kalin.

Behind them, the goons on runners are scattering pebbles from the tunnel beneath their wheels. "Heheheheheheheh."

"Ah!" Niko and West both scream. "No! Huh?" Kalin asks.

Up ahead, in a lit cavern, waits a mine cart on tracks.

"Quick, get in the cart!" Says Kalin. They run through the cavern entrance and Niko and West jump into the cart, huddling among a few lumps of rock in the bottom. Kalin starts pushing the cart, still running.

The runners enter the cavern behind them.

Kalin pushes the cart out of the lit cavern into another eerie tunnel and leaps in as it starts picking up speed, going downhill. Kalin glances back.

The goons are still chasing them. "Aw, man!" "Step on it!"

The mine cart grates around a curve and careens deeper into the dark mines.

Followed on its tracks by the two hefty, thick-wheeled runners.

"It's my draw!" Lawton says.

 _"And if it_ _i_ _s a draw that pulls a trap, I'm done-for."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

Lawton places the card in his empty hand.

Skylara inwardly sighs, with relief. "It isn't a trap." Says Skylara.

"So I can't take ya down this round, but I can still take down a major chunk a' your lifepoints! Go, Gatling Blast!" Lawton says.

"Aaa-aaaagggghh!" Skylara takes a hail of glowing purple bullets and scrapes against the wall a bit. Skylara's down to 800 lifepoints, just like that. _"That was bad._ _However,_ _it would_ _ha_ _ve been worse if Lawton had five trap cards out. I need to get rid of that Ogre."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

"I'm now getting rid of my Ogre." Says Lawton.

"What? Why would you release such a powerful monster?" Skylara asks.

"So I can summon one with even more power. Come out, Full Armor Ogre!" Says Lawton. Full Armor Ogre has 1600 attack points, 1600 defense points, is a level 5 monster and is a fire type monster.

When Full Armor Ogre is sent from the field to the graveyard, you can summon one Gatling Ogre from your graveyard.

"Betcha weren't ready for that. See, Skylara, ya do have some skills as a duelist, but compared to me? You're nothin' but a tenderfoot! Now, attack Elephun!" Lawton says.

 _"That Ogre has sixteen-hundred attack points. If he hits with this attack, I'm done-for."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

"Blast away!" Says Lawton.

Elephun is hit and bursts into shards. "I activate my trap card, 'Desperate Tag'. You may have destroyed my monster in battle. However, all damage is now cancelled and I can summon a level-four-or-below warrior, directly to the field from my hand. So Sonic Boom, come on out!" Skylara says. Sonic Boom has 1800 attack points and is a level 4 monster.

"Like a lamb to the slaughter!" Says Lawton.

Skylara notices something and looks up, a big bombshell is suspended in the air above her.

"I activate my Ogre's ability! When it destroys a monster in battle, you take one thousand points of direct damage!" Lawton says.

"Not if I play this trap, 'Return Marker'. Now, once per turn, I can negate any damage given by way of one of your monsters' special abilities! And then, you take direct damage equal to that monster's attack points!" Says Skylara.

"Rats! My Armor Ogre's attack points are sixteen-hundred!" Lawton says. The shell rocks a bit, then explodes, sending shards of itself flying toward Lawton. Now he's at 2400 lifepoints. "I-end-my-turn." Says Lawton.

Skylara looks over her shoulder, then at her screen. Her speed is fluctuating between 100 and 200. _"I have eight hundred lifepoints and I_ _ha_ _ve already surpassed_ _'_ _Speed World Two's_ _'_ _safety line. Since there_ _a_ _re four speed counters, all Lawton needs is a speed spell and I_ _sha_ _ll take eight hundred points of damage, which means this duel will be over."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

"Skylara, I see it written on your face! You just realized there's no possible way you can win!" Lawton says.

Skylara doesn't answer him.

Kalin, Niko and West round another corner in their little mine cart. The kids moan, as the winding track takes them on a roller coaster ride past rows of small incandescent bulbs that barely light the tunnel at all. They ride out into an open cavern, a chasm with the tracks built across it. The track slopes, sharply, then levels out as they zoom into another dark tunnel.

The two goons on runners are hot on their trail. The frontmost of the two runners unfolds a pair of chainsaws attached to its front. "I'll shred that mine cart in half!"

Kalin and the kids look back. "You just try it!" Says West. He picks up a rock from the bottom of the cart and throws it at the rider, and Niko joins in. "Yeah, stay back!" Niko says.

"Ugh! You'll pay for that!" The chainsaws are getting closer to the side of the cart.

West picks up a bigger rock, holding it above his head with both hands. "I don't think so, you jerk!" Says West. He throws the rock and it hits the guy right in the head.

He starts falling behind them. "Ow, that hurt!"

The guy behind him swerves over to keep from getting hit from the front, as his friend decelerates. "Watch where you're goin'!"

"Got 'em!" West says. "Wow, West. You're pretty tough for just a kid." Says Kalin. "I'm tough from watching you, Kalin. You taught me a lot about how to deal with trouble." West says. "Yeah, you taught us both a lot." Says Niko. "I don't understand. How have I taught you anything, you hardly know me." Kalin says. "Wrong, we know all that we need to know. We know that you never give up in a duel and that no matter what, you always keep fighting!" Says West. Kalin turns to him, stunned. "And seeing you do that, made me believe that I could do it, too. Kalin, keep fighting for my dad no matter how bad things look. You taught me if ya keep fighting ya can't lose!" West says.

Flashback to Kalin's duel with Skylara. "Infernity Doom Dragon, attack that Cynder the Black Dragon. Go, Infernal Flame Blast!" Says Kalin. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "So now, I keep fighting for everything I believe in. And Kalin, I believe in you." West says. "You shouldn't. I've done some terrible things in the past. Things that I'm not proud of. Things that I need to pay for." Says Kalin. "No, you're a good guy!" West says. "Yeah, it's true! You've always been kind, at least to us." Says Niko. Kalin is lost in thought for a moment, then looks ahead, his attention recalled to the danger at hand. The tracks are speeding them toward another lit cavern and the track turns away from a rock wall, sharply.

"All right!"

"Huh?" Kalin asks.

The guy with the chainsaws on his runner is closing in again. "This time you're mine!"

Kalin growls under his breath and goes for the brake handle on the front of the cart. The wheels of the cart shoot up sparks on the track and the cart starts slowing down.

"Uh?"

"What're you doing, Kalin?! If we slow down they're gonna catch us!" Says West. Kalin doesn't stop pulling on the brake with all his might, teeth gritted, in determination. The cart rounds the corner and tilts up on its two outside wheels, any faster and it would have crashed straight into the wall.

Which is exactly what happens to the two runners behind them. "Yaaahh! You'll pay for that!"

The mine cart is coasting down another dark tunnel. "All right!" West says, cheering. "That's how ya take a turn!" Says Niko. _"I feel like I've taken a turn, too._ _F_ _or the better. After all, if these kids can see the good inside me, maybe I can, too."_ Kalin thinks to himself. "Look there!" West says. "What is that thing?" Asks Kalin.

Up ahead, the track ends with another lit cavern and beyond it, a circular platform. They roll out of the tunnel and come to a stop. Then the ground under them starts to move. The circular platform is a turntable, rotating them around to the other side of itself, then tilting the cart, dumping its contents. The three of them scramble to hang onto the sides, but get dumped down a ramp, yelling all the way, to land with a puff of dust on top of a huge box piled full of rocks. The kids cough.

"Hey!"

All three look up.

Two mine bosses in red bandannas are standing over them brandishing their six-shooter duel disks. "Don't try anything or else!" "Hmm?" The one who didn't speak has noticed Kalin's bare neck. "He took off his collar!" Both thugs draw different weapons and level them at Kalin and the kids, handguns with two stout barrels. "Get your hands up or get shock-blasted!" The three put up their hands, quietly, and stand up. Kalin finally has a chance to look around, they've just landed in the middle of a cavern full of mining activity, just like the one he and Skylara escaped from. _"Another mine! Could their_ _dad_ _be here?"_ Kalin thinks to himself.

The despondent miners shuffle around, pushing carts full of ore, hacking at the stone with picks, all under the eye of overseers in red bandannas.

Kalin and the kids are marched down the ramp from the box they landed in. "Let's go, you three! Keep it movin', keep it movin'!" "Kalin." Niko says, whispering, scared. "What do we do?" Asks West, whispering, scared. "Just be ready for my signal. When I give it, you two find another mine cart and get outta here." Kalin says, aside to both of them. "But, what about you?" Asks Niko, in a small voice. "Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself just fine. Now enough chitchat, it's go-time!" Kalin says. He lunges forward and punches the guard walking in front of them before the guy can turn or point his blaster. The first guard goes down.

The second levels his blaster at Kalin, who gets there first, clobbering him in the stomach. "Run! Go!" Says Kalin, yelling. Second guard goes down and he picks up one of the blasters, as three more guards run to stop him. Kalin aims the weapon, calmly, and fires three blasts, while West and Niko run for cover behind him. A few of them loose rounds and miss, each of Kalin's shots connects with the chest of one of the guards and all three fall.

West and Niko have reached a new mine cart, they turn and look back.

Kalin's running to join them, carrying his stolen blaster. "Hurry up, you two! Get in the cart!" Kalin says. He reaches them, the kids still haven't moved. "What's the holdup?" Asks Kalin. He looks where they're looking.

By now, most of the miners have stopped working to stare.

"Over there!" West says. "It's him!" Says Niko.

Among the dispirited miners, one looks right at them and weary disbelief dawns on his face. "Is-is that you? Children?"

"I can't believe it!" West says. "Father!" Says Niko. The two kids run and hug their dad, as he steps forward to meet them.

 _"It's fate! It led us right to him!"_ Kalin thinks to himself.

Just then, another shock blast flies over his head and he ducks, turning to face a fresh round of guards with blasters. Kalin fires a few shots at them, they duck behind some metal barrels near the wall. Kalin runs over to the happily reunited family. "Come on, you two! You need to run!" Kalin says. "How 'bout our dad?" Asks West. "Forget me, just go." "But we just found you, we can't leave!" West says. Niko turns to Kalin. "Yeah, West is right! If we go, he goes. That's that!" Says Niko. "Then everyone, follow me." Kalin says.

Another blast flies over his head.

Kalin fires a few more shots at the guards and the charged rounds shatter against the barrels. "Let's go!" Says Kalin. He keeps firing, as the dad helps Niko and West climb into the cart. Kalin throws away the blaster and starts pushing the cart, leaping aboard as it picks up speed and takes them back into the tunnels, more shock blasts shattering on the walls behind them.

One guard keeps firing until they're out of sight, then says, looking frustrated… "Quick, break out the duel runners!"

The cart wends its way through another open chasm and as he watches the track behind, Kalin sees the two new runners chasing them now.

Each has a sidecar, for a total of four red bandannas chasing them.

Niko and West huddle against their dad, frightened. "Here they come!" West says. "Bunch of 'em, too." Says Kalin. They zoom into a darker tunnel again and dad smiles down at his kids. "I've missed you." _"_ _And unless we figure out a way to slip these guards, we'll miss our one chance at escape!"_ Kalin thinks to himself. And the cart takes them deeper into the dark tunnels of the mountain.

"It is my turn! And by releasing the wind-type monster Sonic Boom, I can summon Trigger Happy!" Skylara says. Trigger Happy has 1200 attack points and is a level 5 monster. "Now Trigger Happy gains attack points equal to those of the monster I just released! So, since Sonic Boom had eighteen-hundred attack points, Trigger Happy's offensive power is now three thousand!" Says Skylara.

"What?" Lawton asks.

"Now Trigger Happy, attack Full Armor Ogre! Go, Gold Coin Shooters!" Says Skylara.

Ogre takes a hail of bright gold rounds in the chest and explodes. "Agh! Rrrrrgghhh!" Lawton's down to 1000 lifepoints now. "Okay! So you destroyed my Full Armor Ogre, but since you did, I'm now allowed to bring a monster that will blast your lifepoints down to zero!" Lawton says. Gatling Ogre has 800 attack points, 800 defense points, is a level 3 monster and is a fire type monster.

"This guy again? This isn't good." Says Skylara.

"And starting next turn, I'll have four speed counters, which means since you're over the safety line, the moment I draw a speed spell, you're a goner! And if I draw a trap card, thanks to Gatling Ogre's ability it'll be lights-out, too! In other words, Skylara! No matter what happens on this next draw, eheh! It's going to be game over for you!" Lawton says. He prepares to draw.

Skylara tenses.

"Eheheh, eheheheheheheheheheheheh!"

And they race on through the dark, Lawton right on Skylara's tail.


	26. Chapter 26

_Chapter 26: The Race To Escape: Part 2_

Ahead, the winding track is barely visible in the dark, as Kalin races onward in a stolen mine cart.

Pursued by two tag-team runners full of goons.

He watches the track ahead, then glances down at Niko, West and their dad, sitting in the bottom of the cart. "You're doing great, just stay down." Kalin says.

"Come on, boys!"

Kalin glances back, worriedly, at the runners chasing them.

The guy in the sidecar of the leading runner speaks. "We gotta take this riffraff down and haul 'em back! If they escape the mountain, Mr. Malcolm'll have our heads!"

"Leave us alone, you jerks!" Says West. "Get down, son!" Kalin goes for the brake bar and slows them down.

The nearest runner is practically on top of them. "Round 'em up, boys!"

"You wanna taste of the Kalin special?!"

As the runner rides up alongside them, Kalin punches the driver right in the face, knocking him off of his seat.

Kalin almost smiles, with satisfaction. "Round that up!" Kalin says.

The riderless runner, still with a guy in the sidecar, decelerates at a fairly controlled pace to roll alongside its counterpart.

The guy from the other sidecar jumps over to become the new driver and both runners get back on the chase.

The remaining sidecar rider speaks. "Dagummit, these runaways are a real thorn in my side! Huh?" Then he spots the metal collar around Dad's neck. "Heheheh. Collar 'im!"

The rider of the other runner draws and slaps down a card.

Dad grips his collar, teeth clenched to stifle more than groans of pain. _"They've activated his collar! I've gotta do something!"_ Kalin thinks to himself. He moves to the back end of the cart, putting one foot up on the edge. "Kalin, what're you doing?!" Asks Niko.

Kalin pushes off and jumps from the back of the cart, delivering a flying kick to the rider who activated the collar, knocking him off of the seat. Kalin lands on the runner with his hands on the seat and his legs sticking over the back of it. Kalin pushes himself up and deactivates the collar with the runner's controls.

After a moment, their dad relaxes again, gasping for breath. Niko and West worry over him. "You okay?" Niko asks.

Meanwhile, Kalin has just managed to get himself to a sitting position on the runner, when…

"Behind you!" Says West.

Kalin looks back.

The two guys on the other runner are coming up fast. "You wanna dance, punk? Come on!" They ride up beside Kalin and ram him from the side.

Kalin skids over and scrapes along the wall on his shoulder, the one with the scarred stab wound through it.

West and Niko watch from the cart, anxiously. "Stay on, Kalin!" West says. "Don't fall!" Says Niko.

"Rrrrrrrgggghhhh!"

"Kalin!" West says. The mine cart is outrunning Kalin, disappearing into the dark.

Then, between the thugs' runner and the wall, Kalin's runner flips over and goes flying, and he is propelled forward and almost manages to grab the edge of the mine cart, Niko grabs his hand with both of hers. Kalin looks up at Niko, amazed. "Niko!" Says Kalin. He's now being pulled along behind the cart, like a kite on a string. West pulls on the cart brake with all his might. "Rrrrghhhh!"

The remaining runner donuts down the tunnel, losing momentum as it spins out. The sidecar rider says, impatiently… "Can't you drive?! They're gettin' away!" They right themselves and roar after the cart.

Niko is barely hanging onto Kalin's hand, as West hauls on the brakes. "Hold on!" Niko says. She strains and nearly loses her grip on Kalin's hand. West looks back, concerned, and hurries to help her. "Niko, hang on!" Says West. He grabs a hold of Niko around the waist, keeping her from falling out, and they pull together. "I'll be fine, Niko! Just let go!" Kalin says. "No way! I'm not letting go! We're getting out together!" Says Niko. "It's okay!" Kalin says. "No, it's not okay! You saved my father! Now, let me save you!" Says Niko. Kalin pauses a moment, then reaches up and grabs her wrist with his other hand. Dad joins in, and he and Niko pull Kalin back into the cart. Kalin hits the floor of the cart, gasping for breath. West, Niko and Dad lean over Kalin, anxiously. "You're okay." Niko says. "Deep breaths!" Says West. "Can ya stand?" Kalin stands up. "Nice work." Kalin says. Niko smiles at the praise. "You good to go?" Asks West. Kalin's whole face softens as he smiles, and nods once, before looking to Dad. "You saved my life." Kalin says. "You saved mine, I'm free 'cause of you." "That's not true. First of all, we're not free yet. And second of all, you're in this mine 'cause of people like me." Says Kalin. "I'm not here 'cause of you." Kalin gasps, truly startled by that statement. "What do you mean?" Kalin asks. West and Niko's dad closes his eyes and remembers.

Flashback. The sky is bright blue above the cow-skull sign that marks the entrance to Crash Town. "It's my own fault. Nothing I did ever went right and I couldn't make ends meet." He stands just inside the gate, Niko and West on either side of him. They look about the same ages as they are now, though Niko's dress looks much newer than it is today. Their dad looks much younger than the present, because he is far less worn. The newest hotshot in Crash Town wears a local duel disk on his hip and sturdy, comfortable pants, shirt and vest. He wears the blue pendant around his neck. "So, I came to Crash Town looking for an easy way out."

Change Flashback. "Happy trails!" A dusk duel is just ending, he slaps a card down on his duel disk and the air in front of his opponent in a red bandanna explodes. His Cyber Commander fades from the field.

West and Niko run up and hug him, laughing and cheering. "All right!" Says Niko. "You won!" West says. Dad kneels and he jumps into his arms. "Finally, I was getting to show my little ones that their dad could do something with himself! That I could be somebody, and take care of us! All my life I'd never reached my true potential, but things were finally turning around! But, that didn't last forever."

Change Flashback. He hits the ground hard on his back and his lifepoints fall to zero. He cringes and starts to sit up, and sees a dark figure looming over him, the man who loads duelists into coffins when they lose. He reaches for him with a black-gloved hand, blocking out the light of the sun. He can only stare up at him, in despair and terror. "Don't do it, please! Give me another chance!"

And the cart rolls off to the mines, a single coffin loaded on the back.

West and Niko run after the cart, as it rolls out of town. "Dad!" Says West. "Come back with him!" Niko says. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "I knew the deal when I signed up. I was a desperate man, Kalin. A desperate man who felt like he had nothing to lose. In fact, part of me thinks I wanted to end up down here." Kalin gasps. "But, what about your kids?" Asks Kalin. Dad smiles down at West and Niko, both listening to the story, anxiously. "A man can get so blinded by self pity, he forgets that he's got something worth living for. I think a lot of men who come here are like that. They've lost their will to fight on and they come here ready to lose. But, not you. You've still got some fight in you. You're still strong." Kalin is listening, stunned. "Even in this dark place you see light! I know you do! And by risking your hide to help me and mine, you've shown me that light! I see it now, too!" "Huh?" Kalin asks.

Skylara and Lawton race on through the dark tunnels of the mountain.

"Eheheheh!" Lawton waits ready with his Gatling Ogre.

While Skylara's monster on the field is Trigger Happy.

"Here we go, it's my turn now!" Says Lawton.

 _"I_ _ha_ _ve got four speed counters. The safety i_ _s off now and not only that, he has Gatling Ogre on his field. If he has drawn either a trap or a speed spell, I'm done-for."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

Lawton savors the moment, his drawn card held out to the side. "Heheheheheheheh!" Lawton glances at his card.

 _"What does he have?"_ Skylara thinks to herself.

"You sure lucked out this time. But now, I can release my Gatling Ogre, and summon Big Cannon Ogre in his place!" Lawton says.

"What? You're ditching Gatling Ogre? So, you had a backup plan?" Asks Skylara.

"That's right! The story's got multiple endings, but I'm afraid each an' every one of 'em's bad for you!" Lawton says.

Big Cannon Ogre is a level-seven fiend-type monster, with twenty-four hundred attack points and twenty-four hundred defense points.

"So, what is this big guy all about?" Asks Skylara.

"This here is Big Cannon Ogre, my friend! And he's all about being two tons of guts 'n' glory, and bringing a relentless barrage of destruction and mayhem everywhere he goes!" Lawton says.

"Sounds impressive on paper. However, he still doesn't have more attack points than my Trigger Happy." Says Skylara.

"That doesn't matter in this case. Do it, Big Cannon Ogre! Attack that Trigger Happy!" Lawton says.

"My gremlin!" Says Skylara.

"I activate the effect of 'Skill Successor' from within my graveyard. When I remove this card entirely from play, I can increase the attack points of one monster on my field by eight hundred until the end phase!" Lawton says. That's 3200 attack points. "Now, Big Cannon Ogre's ballistic barrage can shatter your monster's defenses! Go, Big Cannonfire!" Says Lawton.

Big Cannon Ogre fires and the shell punches a hole right through Trigger Happy, which spouts greenish-black smoke then explodes.

"Hnnngghh! Whoa, what gives?!" Skylara asks. Another large shell is descending on her, above the smoke. It hits and another explosion of smoke shrouds Skylara completely.

"Thanks to Big Cannon Ogre's special ability, the battle damage you take is doubled! That's what gives!" Says Lawton.

Skylara rides out of the smoke, she's down to 400 lifepoints now.

"Now that we're in the end phase, Big Cannon Ogre's attack points return back to normal. Looks like it's your move." Lawton says.

 _"I managed to hang on._ _However,_ _if I don't turn this thing around, then I'm never getting out of this mine."_ Skylara thinks to herself. She looks back at the Big Cannon Ogre looming behind her, then ahead at the twisting, winding tunnels, barely visible even in her bright headlights. _"I can do this. I just have to speed things up a little."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

Kalin brakes to moderate the cart's steep downhill speed. They zoom out of the incline, over a small rise and into more dark tunnels. Niko, West and Dad huddle together in the bottom of the cart, happily reunited.

Then Kalin hears a voice from behind them. "Faster!" The two goons on the runner have managed to catch up to them again.

"Man. These guys don't know when to quit!" Says Kalin. Dad rises up to look around. Forward, back, then ahead again at the track. Coming up, it forks into two caverns. "I worked here! If we break right at the fork up ahead, we can get to the outside!" "Are you sure?" Kalin asks. He looks behind.

The runner is gaining on them.

 _"If we can elude those guards until then!"_ Kalin thinks to himself.

The guy in the runner's sidecar speaks. "They gotta be kiddin' us! Surely they don't think it'll be that easy, let's see here! I press this, then that, then bam!" He manipulates the number keypad on a remote control, 1-0-8, then a key with a left arrow.

The lever beside the fork that switches its path has an electronic panel on it that reads 108, the light on it switches over to the left and the lever moves itself over to the left, remotely controlled.

The track switches. "They're diverting the track! Know where the left one goes?!" Asks Kalin. "Not where we wanna be!" The left-hand fork leads them out into a large cavern, dimly lit, the cold stone gives the lighting there a bluish tinge. The track continues downward out of sight in a spiral around the outer wall of the wide, cylindrical chasm.

The sidecar rider speaks. "Well, this oughta be pretty entertaining."

Niko and West have now also stood up in the cart, and he notices, across the cavern. "Huh?! Look, the track is broken down there!" West says.

The track has been damaged, leaving a substantial gap right after a fork whose other side leads off into a smaller tunnel.

"No! Ah!" Says West. He notices next that there's a lever, just like the first one, placed beside the fork. "If only we could change the track at that juncture!" West says. _"If I could get down there, break the control console, and then switch the track manually, hm."_ Dad picks up a rock from the bottom of the cart and stuffs it down the front of his jumpsuit, pushing Kalin a bit to the side so he can reach the side of the cart. "Dad?" Asks West. "You have a plan?" Niko asks. "Kalin, listen. No matter what happens, I beg of you, make sure my kids get outta here." Kalin gasps. "What are you talking about?!" Asks Niko, whimpering. "You kids listen to me. Kalin is going to get you outta here, you do what he says." West and Niko moan slightly, worried. "Stop talking like that! We're all gonna get outta here, together!" Kalin says. "Well, right now all that matters is you getting my kids out! There's no other way." Dad looks down, they're approaching the section of track directly above the broken portion and the crucial juncture. "Don't do it, Dad!" Says West. "Father, please! Noooo!" Niko says. Despite their pleading, he jumps.

"Aaaaaahh!" He catches himself by the lever of the juncture, hanging over the edge by it. He lets go of his grip with one hand and hangs on by the other, groaning with effort.

Kalin, West and Niko watch, anxiously. "He made it!" Says West. "Father!" Niko says.

The runner's sidecar rider still has his remote. "What is that fool doin'?!" He presses a button on the remote.

And the light on the side of the juncture turns red, locked. Grimacing with effort, West and Niko's dad reaches into his jumpsuit and gets the rock he brought, smashing it against the console, again and again. The lights start to spark with electricity, until one final smash darkens them.

The sidecar rider's remote goes blank. "What in tarnation?! Ah!"

He pulls himself up, pushing the lever he's hanging from. He can barely reach far enough, can barely move it. But the track begins to change. "Aaaaaaaggghhh!"

"He's switchin' the tracks! Collar 'im!" The driver plays a card, swiftly.

His arm that was pushing him up leaves the ledge to grip his collar and he loses ground, as the lever slides back down with the force of his weight. The track begins to shift back.

"Hang on!" Says West.

Sweat breaking out on his face, he lets go of his collar and strains back upward, pushing with everything he's got. At last, the lever reaches the other side of the panel and he slumps over it, halfway up onto the ledge.

The track clicks into place.

He moans and grips his collar, in pain, and loses his grip on the lever panel, he just barely manages to grip the edge of the platform with one hand. He moans, but looks up, the mine cart is approaching.

"Climb up!" West says. "Hop in!" Says Niko.

"Keep going! Don't slow down! Get outta here!"

"Ah!" Both West and Niko say.

He smiles, wearily.

Kalin gasps, seeing something in that smile.

He grips the edge of the panel harder.

"Daddy, no!" Says both West and Niko.

"I'll find you! Keep going!"

And the mine cart zooms past into the side tunnel. West and Niko are sobbing. Kalin looks absolutely thunderstruck.

The runner doesn't even slow down and follows them into the tunnel. The sidecar rider speaks, as they ride out into a lit cavern. "We can't let 'em leave this mountain! C'mon, we'll…"

Kalin comes out of nowhere and punches the driver off of his seat, having waited to ambush them. "We need to borrow your vehicle, if that's okay!" Kalin says.

The driverless runner careens into a nearby rock wall and the sidecar rider falls out.

"Thanks!" Says Kalin. Before the two riders know what hit them, he's riding away, with Niko riding behind, clinging to his waist, while West rides in the sidecar. They ride into another tunnel, the kids still sobbing a bit. "Knock it off! Your dad doesn't want you to sit here and cry like babies! He wants you to be fierce and brave and angry and full of spirit and, um!" Kalin says. The two kids are still sobbing, tears show at the corners of Niko's eyes. "I'm so sorry, you guys. I-I didn't mean to shout at you like that." Says Kalin. West looks up at him, tears still in his eyes. "Your dad's gonna be okay. He'll find a way out, you heard him." Kalin says. "You think so?" Asks Niko. "You believe in him, don't you?" Kalin asks. "Yeah." Says West. "Yeah." Niko says. "And so do I!" Says Kalin. They roar onward through the tunnels.

"It is my turn!" Skylara says.

Lawton gasps, that doesn't sound good.

"From my hand, I'm activating the 'Fallen Angel' speed spell!" Says Skylara.

"What?" Lawton asks.

"I can activate this speed spell when I have five or more speed counters! It allows me to summon one synchro monster by taking the monsters required to synchro-summon it from my graveyard and removing them from play! Both my level-one Wrecking Ball and my level-five Zook are in my graveyard! So, I remove them from play. And now, I synchro-summon Drobot!" Says Skylara. Drobot has 2400 attack points and is a level 6 monster.

They race onward into a dimly-lit cavern of reddish stone.

"Next, I activate Drobot's special ability. By cutting his attack points in half, Drobot can attack you directly!" Skylara says.

"Whoa, say that again?!" Asks Lawton.

Skylara goes into a sideways shred. "Don't worry, you heard me correctly. Go, Drobot! Attack!" Skylara says.

"From my graveyard, I activate the 'Explosive Wall' trap! This powerful little beauty'll get rid of everything, removing your attacking monster and every single card on my field, permanently from play!" Says Lawton.

"Anybody mind if I cut in?" Kalin asks.

Lawton turns.

Kalin, Niko and West, on the stolen sidecar runner, are riding alongside the duel on a ledge above.

"Kalin?!" Asks Skylara.

"Hang on tight, you two!" Kalin says. Next, with a shout of effort, he jumps the runner over the side of the ledge. "Ah!" Kalin's stolen runner bounces on the top panel of Lawton's giant runner, throwing him off balance and slamming him into the wall.

Kalin, Niko and West land on the path where Lawton was, and follow Skylara into the next tunnel, pulling even.

"Kalin, you made it." Says Skylara.

Kalin smiles.

Skylara returns it, then notices, up ahead, a point of light. "There is the exit. Let's go." Skylara says.

Lawton has recovered and is racing up behind them. "You punks! Nobody escapes this mountain! Huah!" Says Lawton.

"Heads up." Skylara says.

"Ah?!" Asks Kalin, West and Niko.

Lawton's runner has extended the stilts on its legs, allowing Lawton to pass right over them, his wheels rolling in between the smaller runners, to now be riding in front of them, blocking the exit. "Hmhmhmhm. I activate 'Explosive Wall'! You wanna get outta here? Let me help you." Lawton says. He's holding a bundle of dynamite with the fuses connected to a timer. "This way you can really go out with a bang!" Says Lawton. He taps a button, putting four hundredths of a second on the timer and tosses it over his shoulder at them.

"Look out!" Skylara says.

The dynamite lands on the tunnel floor in front of them.

BOOM! The side of the mountain explodes, bright against the early dawn. The air fills with smoke.

Kalin, Niko and West are flung out one side of the cloud, thrown free of the stolen runner.

Skylara and her runner go flying a different direction.

Lawton, still on his runner, emerges from the cloud, laughing, despite being flung high into the air.

Within the smoke cloud, Big Cannon Ogre and Drobot vanish.

Kalin is falling through the air, barely conscious. He wakes with a start when he hears…

"Kalin!" Says Niko. She reaches a hand toward him, terrified.

Kalin turns over in midair to reach for Niko's hand. "Grab my hand!" Kalin says.

They almost reach, but the wind is pulling them further apart.

"Kalin! Nooo!" Says Niko.

"Niko-o-o!" Kalin says.

As he falls, eyes closed, West still grips his dad's pendant. West groans, slightly, as his grip loosens and the pendant flies free.

Skylara's runner bounces on the hard lip of a stone canyon below and falls over the edge. Making more noise, Skylara herself does much the same. "Whoaaaa-oh! Unh!"

And Kalin is the next to tumble into the canyon, bouncing on the rim. "Nnnggggghhh-uh! Unnnh!"

And the pendant falls in after them.

Niko and West lie sprawled on the lip of the canyon, groaning.

Over the horizon, straight out of the sun, walks Lawton. Lawton favors his right arm, carefully, and his left wears a sheath of ripped-off plastic, probably from his runner, but he is still chuckling evilly. Lawton looks to the side, over the edge of the canyon. "Those two meddling blockheads are as good as gone! Heheheheheheheh!" Says Lawton. He approaches the kids, lying prone on the rock, their breath hoarse and groaned with pain.

Lawton returns to town, Niko and West each tied up and tied to one of the arms of his runner. The two are still not quite awake, eyes closed, breathing painfully.

Malcolm, also, is not quite awake, he moans, grumpily, and wakes up. "Did I fall asleep? Huh?!" Malcolm asks. He's just realized that he's tied to a chair. "Hey, what's this?!" Asks Malcolm. "We tied you up while you were snoring away." Barb says. Lawton is sitting across the table, she is standing at his shoulder. Both of them snicker. Malcolm is entirely lost, but is just realizing he's been had, you almost have to feel sorry for the guy. Malcolm's too wounded to be angry. "And why didja do that?" Asks Malcolm. Barb shows him a piece of paper. "Remember last night when you signed the deed of the town over to me? Well, I may have forgotten to mention that I was married to your brother." Barb says. "Wha-what're you talkin' about? You're married to Lawton?!" Asks Malcolm. "She sure is. So, whatever belongs to Barbara…" Lawton says. Barb giggles and sits in his lap, handing him the deed. "Well, it belongs to me, too." Says Lawton. Now Malcolm's starting to get angry. "You betrayed me! How dare you! Agh!" Malcolm says. Barb just kicked over the table, which in turn knocked over his chair. "You're talkin' to the new king and queen a' Lawtontown, brother!" Says Lawton. They both laugh. "You two think you can get away with this?!" Malcolm asks. "Just ask them." Says Lawton.

About fifteen or twenty goons in red bandannas are standing over Malcolm, each one with a duel disk activated on their arm. This does not look good for Malcolm.

At the bottom of the ravine. Skylara and Kalin are just barely starting to recover from the fall, lying prone on the ground, shaking. Kalin pushes himself up on his hands.

Skylara soon does the same, gritting her teeth, in pain. It looks as if Skylara was protecting her stomach more than the rest of herself, her arm is still lying against the lower half of her stomach.

"I'm no good to anyone." Kalin says.

Skylara looks at him, surprised.

Kalin crouches on his hands and knees, shaking with more than just pain. Kalin stifles a sob. "I break everything I touch. Their dad put his trust in me, and I just let him down. I let everyone down!" Says Kalin.

Skylara takes off her helmet and throws it aside, stands up and zips up her coat, stopping when she comes just short of her chest, almost as if she's trying to hide something. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You did everything you could for those kids." Skylara says.

"But, my everything wasn't enough, Skylara! Huh?" Asks Kalin. He's just noticed something sparkling in the dirt nearby. It's the pendant.

A short while later. Skylara and Kalin, having pulled themselves out of the canyon, now stand atop the same ledge they did before, overlooking the field of discarded duel disks stuck into the ground with spikes. Both are silent for a long moment. "Well, here we are again." Kalin says. He walks over to the nearest spike and looks at the pendant one last time, before hanging it over the top of the spike, gently. Kalin kneels down and stares at it, mourning.

Skylara walks over and stands by Kalin. "I'm so sorry. I failed! If only I'd tried harder! I guess, Malcolm and his gang have won the fight!" Says Kalin. He is startled out of his sorrow by a whirring sound. A light on the side of the duel disk has lit up, shimmering with color, the duel disk's holoprojector just activated. "Kalin, look at that. Looks like that duel disk still has power." Skylara says. "It's a sign. I can't give up here. It's time for me to stand up and duel for what's right!" Says Kalin. He smiles, pulls the pendant off of the stake and then places his arm inside the band of the duel disk, snapping it off the stake and raising it high. "I will fight for those who have lost their freedom! And as for those who take advantage of the lost and the desperate, I will show them that justice has a name and a face!" Kalin says. "Kalin, whatever you are thinking. I got your back." Says Skylara. Kalin lowers the duel disk, looks over his shoulder at her and nods. Kalin's noticed the new way Skylara's wearing her coat and seems to have come to a conclusion, but decides not to bring it up. Skylara must have heard his thoughts and smiles, slightly, giving a subtle nod. Kalin returns the smile, he figured it out and he's happy about it.

The sun is rising over this lonely field of duel disks, dispelling the ghostly mist of predawn.

Skylara steps forward to stand beside Kalin, facing into the sunlight. "Does he know?" Kalin asks. "No, I haven't told anyone about it. Your the first one to know." Says Skylara. "How far along?" Kalin asks. "Perhaps, only a couple weeks or so." Says Skylara. "I see." Kalin says. He turns to face the sunlight. "Bad news, Lawton. There's a new sheriff in town. Let's go save those kids!" Says Kalin.


	27. Chapter 27

_Chapter 27: Clash At Crash Town: Part 1_

The late afternoon sun is reddening over the plains near Crash Town. "You got it upside-down!" Two goons in red bandannas are working on the sign over the entrance to the town with hammers. "No I don't, knuckle-head, you're looking at it from above, just keep hammering!" "Whatever!" The nearer looks over his shoulder and the further looks over the sign, as they hear a nasty laugh. "Ehuhuhahahaha!"

Ravens scatter to the air, in alarm.

Several other red bandannas are standing in the street, uneasily. A whip snaps on the ground, as Barb wields it, gracefully, curling it around itself to coil neatly in her hand. Two shreds of red bandannas drift ominously to the ground and land at West and Niko's feet, the two kids are tied to a wooden pole nearby. "Your services are no longer required, gentlemen! Now, which one of you wants to go work in the mines?!" Barb asks. The other halves of the two bandannas shredded by Barb's whip fall from the necks of the two guys opposite her, the rest of the red bandannas have formed a loose circle around the event, watching apprehensively. One of the two has spiky maroonish hair, and the other wears a jacket with a fleece-lined collar, both look stunned. The former speaks. "You're booting us outta the gang?! That ain't right, Barb, we didn't do nothin'! Lawton said if we joined his crew we could stick around!" Fleecy jacket. "That's right!"

"Yes, indeed, I did say that." Says Lawton. The whole group 'huh's, he has joined them, stepping to the center. Barb blows Lawton a kiss. "But, I'm afraid this is the end for you." Lawton says. "But… why?" "Because now that Lawton is in charge of this town, we have to do a little bit of what they call 'managerial restructuring'. Which means that you deadbeats are gonna have to duel each other. Winner gets to kick his feet up and enjoy the good life here in Lawton Town, loser gets a one-way ticket to the mines!" Says Barb. "No way!"

They hear horses whinny, once again, the horse-drawn cart that ferries dusk duel losers to the mines has approached town.

The guy with the spiky hair starts hyperventilating at the sight of it, and its usual menacing drivers. He turns tail and starts running. "I'm outta here!" Barb's whip flies through the air and lashes around his chest, constricting his breath, his hands go to his own throat. "Where d'ya think you're goin', buttercup? Take out your duel disk!" Barb says. Her captive strains against the whip, fighting to breathe. He reaches a hand toward the other guy Barb's firing, imploring him for help. "Agh…! Come on, help me…! Do something so we can get outta here together! Gimme a… nnnggghh!"

The other draws his duel disk and activates it, with a yell. "All's I have to do is win, yeah? Okay, I'm in! I can beat him!"

The other one, still entrapped with Barb's whip, turns. "What?!" Barb retracts her whip and watches the show, she's done what she intended.

Spiky hair activates his duel disk. "Why, you two-faced backstabbin' traitor! You're gonna regret this!"

The sun is sinking toward the horizon, and the sides have been set.

The two face off across the square, spiky hair still breathing heavily.

Lawton looks over his shoulder towards West and Niko. "Don't worry, you two, you won't be goin' to the mines. You're gonna be Barbara's personal assistants. And don't even think about running away. You're gonna learn to live with the hand you've been dealt!" Lawton says.

"Nuh-uh!" Says West.

"Mm?" Lawton asks.

"Kalin's gonna come for us and he's gonna save us! And he's gonna take you down!" Says West.

"I'm afraid I got bad news for ya, lad. Your pal Kalin went bye-bye. Ehahahahahmhm!" Lawton says.

"My dad would clobber you! If he were here." Says Niko.

"Ain't that sweet. You wanna know why your old man's not here? Because he didn't know how to live with the hand he was dealt! Just like those two over there." Lawton says. He looks back over at the two guys preparing to duel, both breathing heavily, tensely awaiting sunset.

The two sign workers have paused, watching the scene in town, worriedly. The guy working on the back of the sign speaks to his buddy, nervously, who was hammering on the front of it. "Ya think we'll have to duel each other?" "Uh-unh." Then, the first note of a familiar harmonica is heard. "Unh! Where's that music coming from?!"

The harmonica continues to play, its notes echoing through the suddenly still square. Everyone has stopped to look around for the source of the sound. Spiky hair finally looks down the road toward the setting sun, and sees… "Huh?"

Just as before, he walks into town playing his harmonica, silhouetted in the burning light of the sun, the wind rustling his black coat, a duel disk holstered at his hip.

Lawton groans and Barb looks nervous. "N-No way!" Says Barb.

West and Niko laugh with relief, their faces bright with hope.

Kalin finishes the tune, as he steps into the square, facing the whole scene that has played out so far. He lowers the harmonica from his lips. "So sorry I'm late, kids. The traffic here was horrible." Kalin says.

"Kalin!" Says Niko. "I knew he'd come!" West says.

"How?! I saw him fall!" Says Lawton.

One of the red bandannas backs away, nervously, as Kalin walks a few more steps forward to address the situation. He looks around. "So, this is the deal? Now he's turning you guys against each other? Are you guys so broken and desperate that you let these two call all the shots?" Kalin asks, disdainfully. He does a slight laugh. "You outnumber them, you know!" Says Kalin.

Spiky hair. "He's got a good point! There's more of us than there are of you!"

"Don't be absurd! You dolts can barely tie your shoes! You need a man like me running this joint! But listen, ya wanna leave, go ahead! Good luck finding a place that'll put up with you!" Lawton says, harshly, covering up fear.

The red bandannas self-consciously look down or away, in silent agreement.

Kalin is undaunted. "Maybe you should be the one to leave, Lawton. And maybe I should be the one to make you leave." Says Kalin, with clam menace.

"Hm!" Lawton says. "You might wanna change your attitude, we've got ourselves something you might want!" Says Barb. She points a thumb over her shoulder at the kids tied up behind her.

"Not for long!" Skylara says.

The kids 'huh' and look.

A runner is roaring across the desert.

In the town square, people start to chatter, nervously. "Huh?" "Ya hear that noise?" "What is that?" "I hear something!" "Somethin's goin' on."

Skylara is riding the runner, making a beeline straight toward the town, the mountain at her back. Skylara leaps the outer circle of red bandannas, triumphantly soaring through the air above the heads of everyone in the square. "Look out!" "What's she doing?!" "You guys want to get out of here?!" Asks Skylara.

"You bet we do!" West says.

"I don't think so!" Says Lawton. He readies another whip.

Kalin gasps, remembering what he found out about Skylara and realizing the gravity of the situation. "No, Lawton don't!" Kalin says.

Lawton lets the whip fly, and Skylara and her runner crash to the ground, carving up a rain of dust and chips of baked earth. Lawton pulls the whip back to him and Skylara falls to the ground, face first, in the dust.

"Skylara!" Says Kalin.

The sun is getting closer to the horizon.

"Skylara!" Niko and West both say.

Kalin runs over and kneels down to one knee next to Skylara. "Are you okay?!" Asks Kalin. Skylara sits herself up.

"Well, if she is, she won't be, soon enough." Lawton says.

Kalin helps Skylara to her feet. Skylara pulls the tail of the whip off of her neck and then removes her helmet. "Skylara...?" Asks Kalin. "I'm alright, Kalin." Skylara says.

"Well, well, I never expected you two to crawl outta that canyon." Says Lawton. He fastens a holstered duel disk around his hip. "Whadda you say that we just finish things right here and right now. I'll duel both of you at the same time, how 'bout it?!" Lawton asks.

"Yeah, that's pretty much what we came here for." Says Kalin. "Yes. And then once we have won, you and Barbara are going to leave this town." Skylara says.

Lawton's teeth clench, with anger.

"Don't do it! Just get out of here while you can, you guys!" Says Niko.

"I promised your dad I'd keep you safe and sound, and that's exactly what I intend to do. So just hang tight for a bit, this won't take too long." Kalin says.

"Ohh!" Says Niko.

Kalin holds up the belt and duel disk from around his waist. "This duel disk belongs to someone stuck in those mines. I'm here to honor his name and everyone else who came here and gave up on hope. And on themselves." Kalin says.

"He's so cool!" Says Niko.

"To anyone who's been kicked around and made to feel small, I'm here to help you rise up and fight back!" Kalin says.

Niko and West brighten up. "Wow, he sure knows how to talk pretty and give a rousing speech!" Says West. "He sure does!" Niko says.

"What a joke! He sure likes the sound of his own voice, doesn't he!" Says Barb. "Let 'im have his little dramatic moment." Lawton says. He looks toward the setting sun. "After all, a man's entitled to his last words." Says Lawton.

The sun is nearly touching the horizon.

Skylara and Kalin stand on the north side of the square, squaring off against Lawton to the south.

"Since this is a two-on-one situation we're in, I'm starting with a small handicap. So to even things up, I'll begin the duel with ten cards!" Lawton says.

 _"Ten cards in his hand right at the start. He's probably hoping to go first and take us both out with some kind of amazing combo."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

"Whaddaya say?" Asks Lawton.

"Kalin, we can't, he's going to…" Skylara says, aside to Kalin.

"Okay, you're on, Lawton!" Says Kalin.

Skylara smiles a bit, if he's not worried, neither is she. "Hm. Very well, then." Skylara says.

"Haha! That's the spirit! Now, you two know how things work around here, don'tcha? He or she who draws the fastest goes first." Says Lawton.

Barb and the rest of the guys in red bandannas watch from the sidelines.

"Let's do it!" Lawton, Kalin and Skylara all say.

Barb is smiling, nastily confident.

Niko and West look on. "I'm nervous." Says Niko. "Those two can beat 'im, I know they can!" West says.

The two cart drivers are wearing nasty, creepy smiles, the horses whinny.

The sun is just about to touch the horizon.

Each duelist draws and activates their duel disk.

By an instant, Lawton is the first to hold his hand of cards aloft and he has not five, but ten.

"Hm. Alright, that was fast." Says Skylara.

"Looks like I'll be going first." Lawton says. He begins with 4000 lifepoints.

As do Kalin and Skylara.

"This is it, Kalin. You ready?" Asks Lawton.

Kalin brushes a few strands of hair out of his eyes. "Of course." Kalin says. As they fall back into place, he glares ahead, ready for battle. "And when the dust settles, we'll be the last duelist's standing." Says Kalin.

The dust stirs across the town square of Crash Town, where another duel has just begun at dusk.

"It's my move! Agh! I summon Gatling Ogre to the field!" Lawton says. Gatling Ogre has 800 attack points, 800 defense points and is a level 3 monster. "And with that done, victory will soon be mine." Says Lawton. Stacks of shells pour into Gatling Ogre's ammo chamber, built into the monster's left shoulder. "See, thanks to Gatling Ogre's special ability, for every face down spell or trap card that I send to the graveyard, one of you will get served with eight hundred points of damage!" Lawton says.

 _"And with ten cards, he can take us both out. However,_ _b_ _y activating this card, I can shut Gatling Ogre down."_ Skylara thinks to herself. She starts to reach for Rinyan, Lightsworn Rogue.

"Don't make a move, Skylara." Says Kalin, aside to Skylara.

"Hm?" Skylara asks.

Kalin faces down Lawton and his Gatling Ogre. "Bring it on!" Says Kalin.

"Really, now? This is your only chance to stop me. Goin' once, goin' twice! Okay, if you want it! I'll give it to ya!" Lawton says. Gatling Ogre opens fire straight at Kalin.

Kalin doesn't move, his eye widens.

"Play something!" Says Skylara.

"What's he doing?!" Niko asks. "This looks bad!" Says West.

Barb's satisfied smile widens a bit.

Kalin is knocked off of his feet and several feet into the air. Kalin falls backward and hits the ground on his back with a harsh groan, a finishing blow. Kalin's lifepoints decrease to zero, just like that.

Skylara looks back. "Kalin, no!" Skylara says, worriedly.

"Unh." Says Kalin.

"No way! He lost already?" Niko asks.

"Hehahahahah, hahahaha! Now that, was easier than stealin' candy from a baby! Now, as for…" Says Lawton. He gasps, halted mid-sentence. "Wha?!" Lawton asks.

The red bandannas gasp, in amazement.

Kalin is rising to his feet, the air around him glimmering with shadowy blue light that makes his hair stand on end, and beyond that deep purple shadows. Kalin takes a step and once again stands on the dueling field.

The red bandannas are kind of freaked out. "Are you guys seeing this?" "How is he standing?!" Asks Barb.

Kalin, still glowing purplish-blue, is smiling at Lawton, in a way that is downright demonic. Kalin has returned from the dead, and for Lawton that's really bad news.

"What is this?! What's goin' on?!" Lawton asks.

Even more unsettling, Kalin's lifepoints read zero and yet there he stands.

"You're done, now lie down like the loser you are!" Says Lawton.

"I don't think so. It'll take more than that Gatling Ogre of yours to keep me down. I'd like you to meet a friend of mine." Kalin says. The menacing blue fog around him floats apart from him and resolves itself into a tall totem pole of a monster in defense mode. Infernity Zero has 0 defense points and is a level 1 monster.

"What-in the world is that thing?!" Asks Lawton.

"When my lifepoints become zero due to damage from an effect, I can summon Infernity Zero in defense mode by discarding every other card in my hand. And with Infernity Zero on my field, I can't lose even if my lifepoints drop all the way to zero. But, for every five hundred points of damage I take, I gain a doom counter. And when I've got three doom counters, Infernity Zero is destroyed and then so am I." Kalin says.

"You mean, you can keep on dueling after I've beaten you?!" Asks Lawton.

Skylara smiles, count on Kalin to pull out a trick like this.

The kids look hopeful again, Kalin's back. "He's so awesome." West says.

Kalin laughs, sinisterly, and raises his head, proudly, once again. "Hmhmhmhmhm, hmhmhmhmhm!"

"You are one creepy little punk. Ya know that, right?" Asks Lawton.

"Maybe. But, this 'creepy little punk' is gonna be the end of you, Lawton." Kalin says.

"We'll just see about that. I still have plenty of power left." Says Lawton. He places the rest of his hand face down. "Just you watch! Kalin, this'll put you down for good!" Lawton says.

"Hm?" Says Skylara.

Kalin doesn't blink, or stop smiling.

"Finish him!" Lawton says.

"Not so fast. I can take Infernity Doomslinger from my graveyard, and remove it entirely from play to negate your attack." Says Kalin. His monster, appears on the field, a heavily muscled humanoid creature with a pair of shifty eyes on its pectorals and a skeletal mask on its face. The masked head glares at Lawton, maliciously. "As for what happens after that. Well, that's entirely up to you, Lawton. I'm gonna draw the top card on my deck, and if this card ends up being a monster card, you'll get slammed with forty-eight-hundred points of damage. And I'm afraid that's going to be all she wrote for you, Lawton. However, if this card isn't a monster card, then I take four thousand points of damage, which would slap me with three doom counters required to finish me off. Or, you could choose not to risk it, in which case you can't dish out any more damage this turn. So, what'll it be?" Kalin asks.

 _"He can't attack on his first turn._ _S_ _o, there's no reason for me to flirt with an all-or-nothing risk."_ Lawton thinks to himself. "I'm gonna end my turn!" Says Lawton.

"What's wrong, Lawton? I thought you had guts." Kalin says.

"I do have guts! But 'cha see, I've also got brains, Kalin! I stood to lose more than I stood to gain!" Says Lawton.

"If you say so." Kalin says. Draw. Kalin glances at his card, casually.

 _"What is that card, what did he draw?!"_ Lawton thinks to himself.

Kalin smiles his sinister smile at him. "That was a bad call. I place one card face down and end my turn!" Says Kalin.

 _"So, it wasn't a monster card, if I'd taken the chance, I woulda had 'im!"_ Lawton thinks to himself.

"It is my turn. I summon Tuned Magician to the field in attack mode." Skylara says. Tuned Magician has 1800 attack points, 1600 defense points, is a level 4 monster and is a wind type monster.

During your opponent's turn, Tuned Magician negates the special abilities of your opponent's special-summoned monsters.

Skylara looks down at the Rinyan, Lightsworn Rogue monster card in her hand. _"Now on Lawton's next turn, I can seal away Gatling Ogre by using this monster."_ Skylara thinks to herself. She reaches for the card, ready to play it.

"I know you're sittin' on the Rinyan, Lightsworn Rogue monster card." Says Lawton.

A bullet hole strikes right through the card and it flies out of Skylara's hand.

"Which is why I'm activatin' a trap card of my own, 'Pinpoint Shot'! By correctly guessing a card that's in your hand, I send that card to the graveyard!" Lawton says.

Skylara discards Rinyan, Lightsworn Rogue. "I place one card face down and end my turn." Says Skylara. _"This guy is smart and he knows how to adapt. If we don't figure out a way to get ahead of him, he is going to finish us."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

"It's my turn! Hyeah! First, I'm putting Gatling Ogre in defense mode! Next, I'm activating an equip spell from my hand, 'Double Arms'!" Lawton says. From the heavens falls a second ammo chamber that affixes to the side of Gatling Ogre's first one, its gun now has ten barrels, and it looks pretty happy about that. "Now Gatling Ogre can dole out twice as much damage as it could before!" Says Lawton.

"So, we are talking sixteen-hundred points of damage. I am not liking the sound of that." Skylara says.

"I wouldn't worry, Skylara. You'll be fine, he's after me." Says Kalin.

"Heh. You got that right! It's over for you, Kalin! Now, finish 'im!" Lawton says.

"I reveal the 'Dodge Roll' trap card. This card protects me from damage for one time only." Says Kalin.

"Good thing I can't just attack one time only! Go!" Lawton says.

"I activate my trap 'Half Shield'. This trap cuts damage from one of your monsters in half." Says Skylara.

The shield from her card image, half-iron, half-glass, appears in front of Kalin. Kalin braces his foot back, withstanding the attack.

When the fire subsides, a little blue fireball appears at Kalin's shoulder, with a number 1 glowing upon it. Kalin glances at it, uneasily.

"A doom counter. Just one, though." Skylara says.

"Hmhmhm! I gotta say, for someone who gave up living their dreams, you don't know when to give up on a duel! You're holdin' on with everything you've got, but 'cha can't hold on forever!" Says Lawton.

"Hm. Yeah. You're probably right about that. So, why not go ahead and finish me off." Kalin says.

"Ah?!" Asks Lawton.

"You can, right? So, go on, do it." Kalin says.

Lawton looks down at the one remaining face down on his field. _"Huh, I've only got enough right now to give 'im one more doom counter. I might as well, but, gghh."_ Lawton thinks to himself.

"Come on, Lawton. I'm right here. What're you waiting for? Attack!" Says Kalin. _"_

 _Is Kalin leaving everything up to fate again? Or is he baiting him?"_ Skylara thinks to herself.

"What're you waiting for, tough-guy? Let me have it." Kalin says.

 _"I know what he's doing, he's trying to sucker me into running outta my ammo!"_ Lawton thinks to himself. "Forget it! I end my turn! It's your move, Kalin!" Says Lawton.

"Hey, you did expect me to use 'Half Shield' just now, didn't you? You aren't trying to lose on purpose, are you?" Skylara asks.

"Of course I'm not. I've got way too much to fight for to just roll over, Skylara. The sorrow and the pain of those I sent to the mines. The promise I made to the father of those kids." Says Kalin.

Niko and West are listening.

"When I convinced myself that Yusei betrayed me, Skylara. I let myself go off the deep end." Kalin says.

Flashback. Dark Signer Kalin calls nastily over his shoulder, as the Giant Ccapac Apu's great black hand reaches for Yusei and his swaying runner. "I became self-absorbed, thinking only of me. Living and dueling only for me! I didn't care who I hurt!" Says Kalin, in voice-over.

At the last second, Yusei flinches, closing his eyes for the end, then he falls behind the path of the oncoming hand. It plows into the ground and Yusei and his runner go flying from the impact, knocked senseless, rolling and bouncing over the hard ground.

Change flashback. Majestic Star Dragon blazes through the sky and strikes through the chest of the Giant Immortal, then spreads its wings, shedding the darkness and dispersing it into the dark sky. It soars away, far outrunning the explosion of shadows from the wounded Immortal. "And then afterward, when Yusei defeated me, I saw what I'd become." Kalin says, in voice-over.

Down on the ground, Yusei shakes his head, distraught, holding Kalin in his arms. Kalin smiles up at him, benignly. "I was so lost. I just, I gave up." Says Kalin, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "But, I get it now. I was looking within trying to find something worth saving, but it never occurred to me to look out, to help others!" Kalin says.

"What do you mean?" Asks Skylara.

"I don't care about myself. But, by letting myself care about other people, I have found a new purpose. And I've got something to fight for. Let's do this! I summon Infernity Archfiend to the field, in attack mode!" Kalin says. Infernity Archfiend has 1800 attack points and is a level 4 monster. "When I draw this monster card, and I've got no other cards in my hand, I can instantly summon it. And when it's been successfully summoned, and I'm once again holding no cards, I can add one Infernity monster from my deck to my hand! So, now I summon the monster card Infernity Mirage to the field!" Says Kalin. Infernity Mirage has 0 attack points, 0 defense points, is a level 1 monster and is a dark type monster. "My hand is empty again. Which means, I can release Infernity Mirage and summon two Infernity monsters from my graveyard to take its place. So, I'm summoning Infernity Beetle and Infernity Beast in attack mode!" Kalin says. Infernity Beetle has 1200 attack points and is a level 2 monster. Infernity Beast has 1600 attack points and is a level 3 monster. "Now, I activate my Beetle's ability. By sacrificing one Infernity Beetle, I can summon two more Infernity Beetles from my deck, hand, or graveyard." Says Kalin. His field is now full of monsters ready to attack.

"Pretty good. I may've underestimated this punk." Lawton says, grudgingly.

"Well done, Kalin! If all those attacks succeed, this duel is ours!" Says Skylara.

"Lawton, you better not let those two beat you!" Barb says.

Niko and West are enjoying the show. "Is it bad that I like seeing her get so upset?" Asks West, aside to Niko. "Not at all." Niko says, aside to West.

"Now, I'll use Infernity Beetle number one to attack Gatling Ogre!" Says Kalin.

"Not so fast! I reveal, the 'Backattack Ambush' trap! And with this in play, the battle phase ends, and then, for every monster you have on your field in attack mode, I can summon an Ambush Token to my field!" Lawton says. That gives him four, in addition to Gatling Ogre. Each one is a little sort of tumbleweed, with a mask and two arms, carrying a little tiki torch in each hand. "And here's the thing I just love about Ambush Tokens! For every one that I release, guess who's gonna take five hundred points of damage! You!" Says Lawton.

"That'll give him three doom counters! He'll be out of the duel!" West says. "Oh no!" Says Niko.

"You show 'em how it's done, sweetie-pie!" Barb says.

"You just don't get it." Says Lawton. He wags his finger. "Punks like you don't get to take down men like me, Kalin. Men like me, eat punks like you for breakfast!" Lawton says.

The ambush tokens start lighting themselves on fire and roll across the ground toward Kalin, living fireballs.

"You're finished!" Says Lawton.

"I activate Tuned Magician's special ability." Skylara says.

Tuned Magician wields her staff, the blast of wind puts out the ambush tokens and forces them back to Lawton's side.

"Looks like your ambush tokens aren't going to be ambushing anyone's lifepoints now." Says Skylara.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Lawton says.

"Haha!" West laughs. "Saved him!" Says Niko. "Go, Skylara!" West says.

Barb looks furious.

"Thanks, Skylara." Says Kalin.

"Nice try, Lawton. However, Kalin and I are taking you out." Skylara says.


	28. Chapter 28

_Chapter 28: Clash At Crash Town: Part 2_

Another duel at sundown in Crash Town.

Lawton has 4000 lifepoints.

Skylara 4000.

And Kalin 0.

"Alright, my draw. First, I shall send one monster card to the grave so that I can summon the tuner monster Hot Dog from my hand." Skylara says. Hot Dog has 700 attack points and is a level 5 monster. "Now, since a tuner monster is on my field, I can summon from my grave Wrecking Ball." Says Skylara. Wrecking Ball has 800 attack points and is a level 2 monster. "However, he's only playing a small part in something much bigger. Because next I'm going to tune level-five Hot Dog with Wrecking Ball, to create a new and even more menacing monster. I'm synchro-summoning, Sunburn." Skylara says. Sunburn has 2800 attack points and is a level 7 monster. "And now, this phoenix-dragon hybrid is going to do what he does best… and that is wage war… with Gatling Ogre!" Says Skylara.

Sunburn destroys Gatling Ogre, swamping Lawton with a storm of dust and smoke. "Uugghh!"

"Yes. That time the firepower was on our side." Kalin says.

"And there is even more firepower to come. Because now, since Sunburn destroyed your monster, he can switch another one of your monsters from defense mode to attack mode." Says Skylara. Sunburn's claw glows and hits one of the Ambush Tokens with a blast of fire.

Ambush Tokens' attack points are 100. Lawton growls under his breath.

"And the best part? He now gets to attack again." Skylara says.

Sunburn knocks the Ambush Token into next week, it explodes in a puff of flame and Lawton's lifepoints plummet to 1300.

"However, I'm not done yet. Tuned Magician is now going to bring her brand of justice to Ambush Token." Says Skylara.

Another Ambush Token, this one in defense mode, is destroyed. Lawton has two left.

"I shall then end my turn with two face downs. It is your move, Lawton. Time to see how tough you are now that you have been disarmed." Skylara says.

"Well done, Skylara. Somehow, you've made this duel up-for-grabs again with just one turn." Says Kalin.

"Wrong!" Lawton says.

"Huh?" Asks both Skylara and Kalin.

"The one and only thing that you've made, is me mad! My turn, and I play the spell, 'Card of Burial Magic'! Now, by removing three spell cards in my graveyard from play, I can draw two cards from my deck. Next, I'll release two Ambush Tokens on my field, to summon Blaster Ogre!" Lawton says. Blaster Ogre has 3000 attack points and is a level 7 monster. Lawton's new monster is a skeletally-thin ogre in military costume, with a gun about twice as absurdly long as he is tall. He hefts it, menacingly, aiming it over one shoulder.

"Did he say Blaster Ogre?" Asks Kalin.

"Oh well, so much for thinking we disarmed him." Skylara says.

"Got that right, 'cause thanks to Blaster Ogre's ability, the monster on your field in attack mode that has the most attack points is automatically destroyed, and then you get hit with half that monster's attack points! Hmhm! 'Course, due to your Infernity Zero's ability, you won't even lose when you have zero lifepoints. But, you will gain one doom counter for every five hundred points a' damage you take, and when you have three of those counters, then it's lights-out!" Says Lawton.

Kalin faces him down, steadily, the one doom counter he has already smoldering at his shoulder.

"Now, then, Blaster Ogre! It's time to take down Kalin." Lawton says. He pantomimes with his hands, as though holding Blaster Ogre's weapon himself. "Go!" Says Lawton.

The Ogre fires and Kalin braces, Infernity Archfiend is destroyed and then he looks up. The shell from the blast hangs in the air above him, ominously, ready to strike.

"That Archfiend had eighteen-hundred attack points! Half a' that is nine hundred! What's it all add up to? A whole mess a' super high-caliber hurt!" Lawton says.

The shell plummets toward Kalin, about to hit. The shell from the attack bullets toward Kalin and strikes him squarely in the back. "Nnnuggh!" Kalin gets knocked off his feet and then lands again, bracing his stance. Kalin falls to a crouch, knees shaking, but won't go down.

"Kalin." Says Skylara.

Kalin gets to his feet again, teeth clenched, his doom counter increases to 2.

"That's two doom counters! Just one more, and it'll be the end a' the road for you! And since I can use my Ogre's ability twice, that end is here." Lawton says.

"What?" Asks Kalin. He glares, bitterly, he's cornered and he knows it.

"Ha ha ha ha. He's ready to blast all over again, and that leaves you with nothing but trouble. Go!" Lawton says. He pantomimes the big gun again, as his Ogre attacks.

"I reveal my trap card, 'Skill Twist'." Says Skylara.

The shell from Ogre's gun veers away from Kalin and strikes Sunburn instead.

"No!" Lawton says, disbelieving.

"Skylara?!" Asks Kalin.

Skylara stands strong, as her lifepoints decrease to 2600. "'Skill Twist' lets me redirect a monster's ability to another monster on the field." Skylara says.

"So, you took the hit?" Asks Kalin, stunned.

"We are teammates. And that is what teammates do." Skylara says.

"Yeah? Not for long, you're not! Ya lost fourteen-hundred lifepoints with that trap, meaning you're going to be gone in one more round!" Says Lawton.

"Hm." Kalin says.

"I'll toss one face down and end my turn." Says Lawton.

"One more round, huh? What makes you so certain that you'll be here by then? It's my turn now. And from my hand, I activate the spell card 'Blaster Cartridge'. I must now send four cards in my deck..." Kalin says.

Lawton is suddenly paying attention.

"...To the grave." Says Kalin.

Lawton has spotted the top card of the stack he is sending to his graveyard, Infernity Doomslinger. _"That card he's sending away is Infernity Doomslinger!"_ Lawton thinks to himself.

"Next, I draw one card. Then, I take the spell card 'Blaster Cartridge' and place it at the top of my deck. When I draw this card again, I send it to my graveyard." Kalin says.

 _"I've seen this before."_ Lawton thinks to himself.

Flashback. "I'm gonna draw the top card on my deck, and if this card ends up being a monster card, you'll get slammed with forty-eight-hundred points of damage. And I'm afraid that's going to be all she wrote for you, Lawton. However, if this card isn't a monster card, then I take four thousand points of damage, which would slap me with three doom counters required to finish me off." Says Kalin. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. _"Infernity Doomslinger is a monster with a roulette ability. If Kalin uses it, he'll have to draw a card. Then depending on what card is drawn, an effect'll take place. But the thing is, I know what card he has on the top of his deck! It's a spell card, which means the moment he uses Doomslinger, he's gonna be outta this duel! Which means, I've got to figure out a way to get 'im to use that Doomslinger of his!"_ Lawton thinks to himself.

The quiet moment holds, the sun is a third of the way below the horizon.

"Kalin, the key to winning this duel is going to be taking down Lawton's Blaster Ogre." Skylara says, aside to Kalin.

"I couldn't agree more. Which is why I'm summoning, Infernity Randomizer!" Says Kalin. Infernity Randomizer has 900 attack points, 0 defense points and is a level 1 monster. "But he won't be staying for long, because I'm tuning him with the level-two Infernity Beetles, and the level-three Infernity Beast. Watch, as the sinister spirits that inhabit each of these creatures combine into one! Watch, as I summon forth the Infernity Doom Dragon!" Kalin says.

 _"At last, Kalin's synchro monster."_ Skylara thinks to herself.

"That thing sure is big." Says Lawton.

Infernity Doom Dragon is a level-eight dragon-type monster, with three thousand attack points and twenty-four hundred defense points.

"You may think you got me, but my Ogre is still more macho in the attack point department than that busted-lookin' beast is." Lawton says.

"True, but whoever said that this fight was going to come down to attack points? You see, with Doom Dragon, when I have zero cards in my hand, one of your monsters is destroyed, and then you take damage equal to half that monster's attack points." Says Kalin.

"Say what?" Lawton asks.

"Say goodbye to your precious Blaster Ogre, that is what." Says Skylara.

"Go, Doom Dragon! Infernal Flame Blast!" Kalin says.

"I play my trap card, 'Metal Coat'! I equip this coat onto one monster on my field, and then that monster can't get destroyed by card effects!" Says Lawton. The blast bounces off.

"My dragon can't attack on the turn when he uses his ability. So, I'll stop there." Kalin says, frustrated.

"Stop there? What happened to the tough-guy who said I wouldn't be makin' it to another round! Guess your bark is worse than your bite, just like your Doom Dragon! What a waste of a turn! Ehahahahaha!" Says Lawton.

"Our turn isn't over." Skylara says.

"Huh?" Asks Lawton.

Skylara's eyes suddenly shift to red. "Now, I'm up and your Ogre is going down." Skylara says, her voice slightly echoic and menacing.

The red bandannas are watching, anxiously. "That Skylara girl said she's gonna take down Lawton's Ogre! Guess we're about to see how." The speaker shares a nervous glance with the guy next to him.

"It is my turn now. I summon the tuner monster Solitaire Magician." Says Skylara. Solitaire Magician has 1600 attack points and is a level 4 monster. "Now, level-four Solitaire Magician tunes with level-four Tuned Magician. Out of two will come one and out of one will come great cosmic might. Take flight, Cynder the Black Dragon!" Skylara says. Cynder the Black Dragon has 2900 attack points and is a level 8 monster. "And now, since Solitaire Magician was sent to the graveyard for a synchro-summoning, her special ability activates. An ability that negates Cynder the Black Dragon's effect, but gives her six hundred extra attack points until this turn's end phase." Says Skylara.

"But then…" Lawton says.

"Then she has more points than your Blaster Ogre!" Says Kalin.

"Now go, Cynder the Black Dragon! Attack that Ogre!" Skylara says. Cynder unleashes a firestorm of darkness.

"I don't think so! By sending the 'Metal Coat' that's equipped to Blaster Ogre to the grave, my monster can't be destroyed by your attack!" Says Lawton.

Cynder's attack shatters apart in midair. "Ugh. In that case, I activate the trap 'Synchro Blast' and since a synchro monster just attacked, it can now blast you with a whopping five hundred points of damage." Skylara says.

Lawton's points decrease to 800. "Then we've reached the turn's end phase and your dragon's points, return to normal." Says Lawton.

"What is your point?" Skylara asks.

"Ehahahaha! My point is, ya couldn't take out my Ogre again!" Says Lawton.

"That may be so, Lawton. However, what matters is the stage has been set." Skylara says.

"For what?" Asks Lawton.

"For you being defeated this next turn." Skylara says.

"Rrrghh!" Lawton growls under his breath.

A whip snaps on the ground.

The holograms evaporate from the field.

Skylara, who's eyes are still red, glances over at Kalin out of the corner of her eye and he returns the look.

Behind them, the red bandannas who were spectating have shock blasters aimed at their backs.

"Huh?!" Asks both West and Niko.

Barb snaps the whip again and coils it in both hands. "No one's gonna see anything! 'Cause this duel is over." Barb says.

"Barbara, what gives?" Asks Lawton, for once entirely bereft of arrogance.

"I'll tell you what! Since there's a chance you could lose this, we'll just stop." Barb says.

The creepy little fellow who drives the cart speaks with a thick, nasally accent. "Way, too want to stop ze duel mi-match? But that goes against the town rules!"

Several red bandannas are crowding around the coffin cart, each pointing a shock blaster at the drivers.

"I think you're forgetting something? Lawton runs this town so he makes the rules! Which means, if he's so inclined, he can break them, too." Says Barb.

Skylara and Kalin don't move, each one has about five guys pointing shock blasters at them.

Barb smiles over at Lawton, smugly. "So there." Barb says.

Lawton is staring at her, still ambivalent.

"Barbara." Says Skylara, trying to reason with her.

Barb cuts her off by waving her whip over toward the kids. "It's over, you two. Now, surrender and prepare to meet your fate." Barb says.

"Hm?" Skylara says. Her already red eyes begin flaring crimson and the red gradation portion of her hair has started glowing crimson red, as well.

Barb brandishes her whip above her head, ready to crack it down. "If not, bad things will happen to these kids!" Says Barb.

"Don't listen!" West says. "Forget us!" Says Niko.

"No, you wouldn't dare!" Kalin says.

"Hmm." Says Barb.

The red bandannas look toward her, nervously.

"I would." Barb says. She smirks and cracks the whip at the children's feet. They flinch, frightened.

"Stop it!" Says Kalin. He reaches for his duel disk, ready to take it off and throw it down.

"No, don't!" Niko says.

Kalin stops.

"There are more important things than me and my brother, Kalin! Like this duel! So, keep fighting! We're counting on you, the whole town is counting on you to prove there's still hope for us all!" Says Niko.

Kalin gasps.

Niko's eyes are filling with tears and one trickles down her cheek. "You don't have to be the villain of this town, you can be the one who saves us all!" Niko says.

Kalin stares at her, then looks down, thoughtfully.

"That's pure nonsense!" Says Barb. She raises the whip, ready to lash at the kids again, and stops, one of the red bandannas is now pointing at her, point-blank. He pulls off his bandanna. "No, she's right! We've been under Lawton's thumb for long enough!" "Yeah, and if Kalin can win this, then just maybe..." He takes off his scarf next, as he continues to speak. "Things will change! This duel's gotta go on, so we can at least find out!"

"You're right. Good point." Kalin says. He looks down at his duel disk. "Okay, then. It's game on!" Says Kalin.

"Big-time!" Skylara says.

The other spectators remove their bandannas and lower their blasters, solemnly. Barb snarls, icily. "You'll pay for questioning Lawton's authority." Says Barb.

Two shock blasts ring out. "You can say that again." Lawton says.

The guy who was restraining Barb and the guy next to him are crackling with the shock blasts. They slump to the ground, neutralized. Barb lowers her whip, stunned.

Lawton has drawn his shock blaster and it's still crackling.

Barb straightens up, regaining her sass. "You tell 'em!" Says Barb.

Skylara's eyes and red gradation portion of her hair soon go dim, and her eyes return to their normal emerald green hue. "Wait, what are you doing?" Skylara asks. "So what, are you just gonna shock-blast everyone? I thought you were a duelist!" Says Kalin.

Lawton turns, his shock blaster still pointed over his shoulder. "I'm many things." Lawton says, nastily.

"You punk!" Says Kalin. "What now?" Skylara asks.

"I'll tell you what now. Now, I re-establish my control over these people by making a show of some real force. And I think I'll make that show, on you two!" Says Lawton.

Kalin grimaces, this is looking bad. Kalin then moves closer to Skylara and puts himself in front of her, as if he's a human shield. "Kalin...?" Skylara asks. Kalin looks over his shoulder at her. "I won't let him do anything to either of you." Says Kalin. He quickly glances down at Skylara's stomach and then back up at her, looking her in the eyes. Skylara gasps, slightly, he means what he's saying.

Then a card flies out of nowhere and strikes Lawton's blaster out of his hand. The blaster clatters to the ground, the card sticking sharply in the earth beyond it, the card is Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind.

Skylara and Kalin gasp, and look over their shoulders.

On a rooftop above them to the west stands Crow, arms folded. "Looks like I got here just in the nick of time!" Crow says.

"It's Crow!" Says Kalin.

Crow smiles a bit. "Mm. That's right. I took a ride to look for Skylara. Howdy, bud!" Crow says.

Barb knows she's cornered and cuts the ropes binding the kids to the post, dragging them away, her whip at the ready. "Kalin!" Says Niko. "Help, she's got us!" West says.

"Why you!" Says Kalin. He starts forward.

"Stop! Don't come any closer or else!" Barb says. She tightens her grip. "No, stop!" Says Niko.

Kalin holds his ground, powerless.

Then the whip suddenly flies into the air and Barb finds herself shoved to the ground. Jack is standing over her, looking scornful. "I only lay a hand on a woman, if she lays hers on a child!" Jack says.

"Jack, too?!" Asks Kalin.

Barb backs up, but bumps into someone else's legs. Barb looks up and Yusei is standing there, with his arms folded across his chest. "Hm. Skylara, the next time ya step out, maybe leave a note. You'll be easier to find." Yusei says.

"I shall keep that in mind, Yusei." Says Skylara. "Amazing! The Enforcers are all together again!" Kalin says.

Crow, Jack and Yusei now stand with him and Skylara, and the four Enforcers, all grown up and together again at last, make an impressive sight.

"Look, sis! Those five look unstoppable! This is awesome." Says West.

"Rrrrggghh." Barb walks over to stand with Lawton.

Everyone turns at a loud noise from the edge of town and looks out toward the mountain.

"Oh yeah, we took the liberty of calling in a few reinforcements." Jack says, in voice-over. Under the haze of dust, several Security cars are grouped around a new hole in the side of the mountain. More than several, a good many, and a few trucks, and maybe twenty or thirty officers milling about. "And listen up, kids. They found your dad. He's a little banged-up, but he'll be fine." Says Jack, in voice-over. Miners are being escorted out and guards in red bandannas are being led away with bound wrists. Trudge, clearly in charge of the whole operation, turns and looks out toward the town with a satisfied smile. "Huh." Trudge says.

"You rat!" Says Lawton. He goes for a little mechanism on his belt, pulls it out, flicks it open and presses a button on top.

The front of the flower shop on the corner explodes, dramatically.

More buildings around town start exploding, the whole town was rigged for demolition.

Yusei, Skylara, Jack, Crow and Kalin wince and cough from the smoke.

"You didn't think I'd go down without a fight, didja?!" Lawton asks. Every inch of the streets is filled with thick smoke. Barely visible through the haze, Lawton's huge duel runner is taking off. "I'm outta here! See yuh! Hahahahaha!" Says Lawton. And he is riding away, out of the smoke, across the prairie. The sun at his right is halfway down.

Yusei, Skylara, Jack and Crow cough from the smoke.

Kalin coughs, too, huddling together with West and Niko. "Kids! Are you okay?!" Kalin asks. "Yeah." Says Niko. "Think so." West says. "Lawton! Huh?" Asks Kalin. Through the smoke, he spots Skylara's runner lying on the ground, still where her precipitous entrance before the duel left it.

"Hm? Kalin, take my duel runner." Skylara says.

Kalin turns, is she sure?

"Finish this once and for all. I believe in you, we all do." Says Skylara. She gives Kalin a wink and a smile.

Kalin smiles, cunningly. "Heh! Thanks, Skylara! He's all mine!" Kalin says.

Skylara's shiny black runner peels out into the desert after Lawton, toward the dark hills.

Lawton glances back, surprised to find he's not alone.

Kalin gains on him on Skylara's comparatively small runner, both silhouetted against the dying red sun. Kalin cuts through a dip and uses the slope as a ramp to jump above Lawton, he leaps off and tackles Lawton to the ground.

They roll over and over until Kalin pins Lawton to the ground, gasping for breath. "Going somewhere?" Asks Kalin. "Lemme guess, Kalin. You wanna finish the duel." Lawton says. "You bet, Lawton! More than anything I do! But, even though that may be, I'm not going to." Says Kalin. "W-why not?" Lawton asks. "'Cause I realized something watching you back at the town. You didn't have the heart of a duelist. Ya see, you're nothing but a bully. So, you don't get to go down on the duel field! You go down here, as a coward!" Says Kalin.

A hammer pounds a nail into fresh wood. Under the bright midday sun, the whole town is a cheerful construction site. Trudge stands in the center of town, confidently, watching a pair of his officers escort Barb and Lawton into a Security van. "Watch it!" Lawton says. "Hey, don't I get a phone call?!" Asks Barb. The two officers close the back doors to the truck and it drives away.

A couple of the guys recognized from the duel, the ones who were the first to take off their bandannas, approach Trudge. "Look, we're really sorry about what we did. Please, Sir. Don't take us away to the Facility." "Relax. I'm not takin' anyone else anywhere. Ya see, this town needs people to help rebuild. That will be your rehabilitation." Trudge says. The crowd of former bandannas disperses, relieved. "Happy to oblige!" "You got it, Sir!" "We're on the job!"

Trudge looks out toward the water tower at the edge of town, serenely.

Skylara, Yusei, Jack and Crow's runners are parked near the water tower, and the four are speaking with Kalin, West and Niko nearby. "So is it true, Kalin? Your staying?" Asks Skylara. Her long black coat is now unzipped, how she usually wears it. "That's right. I wanna help this town reach its full potential and make sure these two are okay until their dad fully recovers." Kalin says. "Thank you, Kalin." Says Niko. "Yeah, you're awesome!" West says. Skylara smiles at the kids, then looks up when Kalin addresses her. "Skylara, I know you and I never saw eye to eye at first. You and I despised one another and I'm truly sorry about that whole incident that went down between us. I should've tried reasoning with you, when I used violence instead. I hope I have made up for that. You made all of this possible. Thank you. You were right, the darkness has left me." Says Kalin. He offers a hand. "Kalin." Skylara says. She clasps the offered hand, gladly. They stand together at the brink of a new beginning. "I dunno, I kinda like to think that I made some of it possible, too." Says Crow, ruefully. "Oh, come on. If anyone deserves credit, it's me. Did you see how I rescued those kids? I should get a medal!" Jack says. Kalin smiles a bit and gives the other three Enforcers a thumbs-up. All three return it.

And soon all four runners are racing away into the desert.

West and Niko run a few steps after them, waving happily. "'Bye, guys!" Says both West and Niko.

Kalin walks over to join the kids, all three are standing well outside town now. Together, they turn to look back at the little town beneath the mountain, Kalin with a hand on each kid's shoulder. Kalin smiles, reflectively, and closes his eyes. _"The darkness has left me, and been replaced by light._ _A_ _nd now, the same holds true for this town."_ Kalin thinks to himself.

 **The Signers Shall Return**


End file.
